Valkyria Chronicles - Third Front War
by M1903A4
Summary: A squad of American paratroopers and a Russian women tank crew both found themselves in Gallia. Defending a town they only know by its name, Bruhl, have caused them to be now part of the war. They now side with Gallia in hopes of helping the small country keep its freedom and their new friends alive.
1. Prologue

Hello guys and thank you for coming to my story. Do note though that this is my first fanfic so the first few chapters may be a bit bad, but I hope to make it better along the way.

Anyways, on with the story.

* * *

 _27 December 1944, Outskirts of Bastogne_

In the outskirts of Bastogne, a four man squad was sent out to scout out any nearby German positions. The group consisted of Cpt. Mason Hendricks, Sgt. Jake Peralta, Cpl. Don Woods, and Pfc. Mike Powell. A chat was present among the four paratroopers.

"Hey Captain."

"Yes Mike?"

"You think they'll ever drop us into Japan?"

"I sure as hell hope not. From what I heard from the radio, those guys have it harder than us over there." Don joined into the conversation.

"What makes you think they have it harder than us down there?" The sergeant replied.

"Well let's see, right now, we only have to worry about the Germans and this damn cold" the group nodded to that, especially to the cold part.

"While they have to worry about Japs, which from what I heard; blow themselves up just so to kill us, the jungles, which has mosquitoes, snakes, and whatever creepy crawly that can bite them in the ass, and the weather, which makes them sleeping in the mud more worse than ever" Don finishing his explanation.

"Hearing that, I sure as hell hope those guys kick their asses before 'Ike' start wanting to send us down there" the paratroopers agreeing to that.

They continued to patrol the area, until fog covered the area where they were patrolling. The fog lifted a few minutes later, but the patrol was nowhere to be found.

They have simply vanished.

* * *

 _16 October 1944, North of Memel_

A lone T34/85 was driving through the muddy roads and paths. A fierce battle had cost their tank group heavy losses; with it, they were being deployed to reinforce another tank group. Many would expect that the tankers inside would be men, but they would be surprised that crew themselves only consist of women. The crew consisted of Lt. Tanya Volkov (Commander), Sgt. Anna Nikulin (Gunner), Cpl. Nina Mishurin (Bow Gunner), Pvt. Nika Kuznetsov (Driver), and Pvt. Dina Ivashin (Loader).

In front of the tank lies a huge tree blocking the road. The road is completely cut blocked off, unless someone chops or moves the tree away.

"You think the Germans did this?" Dina asked her fellow gunner.

Anna nods her head. "Most likely, this road offers a good path for us to get to Memel. Bastards are really desperate now after all." Anna shrugging before thinking about the situation they're in.

"Looks like we'll have to find an alternate route, Nika, is there any other way we can use?"

"There is, but we have to backtrack all the way through that crossroad we passed." Nika said while remembering the paths that they took. Tanya sighed and radioed the group they were supposed to meet of their situation.

"Okay. Nika, get us out of here." "You got it Tanya." The tank roared to life and the crew got on their way. Along the path, fog started to cover the area and soon the tank was in it.

"Tanya, can you see anything out there, can't even see the damn road with this fog." Nika said while getting the hatch open. Tanya got up the hatch and can't see anything. "Can't see anything either. Just keep driving and we'll probably get out of this fog."

"How is there even fog here? I am not an expert on weather, but I am pretty sure this place isn't meant to have fog this thick." Dina said while reading one of the maps they have. "I got to agree. It's weird to have fog this thick in a place like this." Anna said, seeing the fog through her scope.

"Well the sooner we get out of this fog the better. I don't want sneaked up by one of them fascist bastards." Nina replied with the rest of them agreeing.

The fog soon lifted but the tank was nowhere to be found. They disappeared.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 _?_

"Uh Capt, where are we?"

"I have no idea Mike. Jake, you know where the hell we are?" Mason asked before turning to Jake. "I have no idea. Map doesn't even match the terrain we see here. I don't even know if were still near Bastogne anymore." The sergeant replied.

"*sigh* Alright then. Before we move and recon the area, check your weapons and gear. I don't want the Krauts to catch us with our pants down." Mason ordered checking his ammo. All were complete and moved out of the area.

The place they were in seemed to be countryside. The place was full of fields and forests as far as the eye can see. It gave that countryside feeling, the smell of nature all over the area and the warm winds blowing through it. This was a welcome pace for the four paratroopers, seeing that they were stuck in a war zone for so long and they were freezing their asses out there, but nevertheless never put their guard down fully. The only time they can truly put their guard down is when the war is truly over for them.

It has been an hour since they started and have found at least directions to a town called 'Bruhl' just up north. They soon stopped though when they found something they never expected.

* * *

The women have found themselves in the middle of a pathway with forests on both sides of the path. "Nika, do you know where we are?" "Can't say I do Tanya, either the Stavka gave us a defective map, if they did I would gladly shove this down their throats, or that were not even near Memel anymore." Tanya replied putting down the map they have. "How much fuel do we have?" "Weirdly enough we still have a full tank of gas on us." "At least we're not stuck here at least." "Contact!" Anna screamed and the crew went full alert and peered through their respective sights.

Instead of the enemy, what they did see though is four troops with uniforms and guns unfamiliar to them with one of them waving at them. "Lieutenant, do you think they're friendly?" "I can't say, but they're not Nazis for sure." The tank started to move closer to the group, but it still kept its guard up in case these people are 'unfriendly'.

* * *

They saw the tank driving towards them. "I swear Don if they started shooting us…"

"Relax Sarge, I am pretty sure these guys are friendly."

"And how are you supposed to know that Don?"

"It's simple really. That tank over there belongs to the Russians" Don explained.

"Russians? What are the Russians doing here?" Mike asked turning to Don.

"How the hell should I know? Maybe they got lost just as we did?" Don replied.

The tank soon reached the 4 and stopped in front of them. A woman with blonde hair and a tanker's cap popped up from the tank. The men were surprised to see a woman instead of a man. "Hey, do you men mind us telling where we are and what you guys are? You're not wearing gray so you're obviously not one of them." The woman questioned, looking at the 4 men. While Tanya was seeing them out of her hatch, the rest of the crew saw them through their respective sights.

"To answer your questions ma'am, we have no idea where we are, and that were not one of them Kraut bastards, were Americans. The Captain answered. The crew was surprised at this and the same thought came to mind, ' _What are Americans doing all the way here?_ '. Tanya pondered

"My name is Lt. Tanya Volkov. My crew and I are part of the 5th Guards Tank Army" She said holding out her hand. "Capt. Mason Hendricks. I and the boys here are of the 101st Airborne Division." Mason replied shaking her hand. The patrol and the crew introduced themselves to each other with pleasantries exchanged and with their origins explained to each other. Both groups were surprised at the similarities of their situations. Both were out of their respective bases when a fog trapped them and placed them here.

"So you guys are like us huh. I swear the next time I see fog, I'll just turn tail and run." Mike said scratching his head. "You can say that again." Dina replied chuckling a little bit. 'So cute.' Mike thought and turned his head in an effort to hide his blush. Dina didn't notice, but his friends did, and a plan to tease him about this later was made.

"So do you guys know where we can go?" Anna asked the group.

"We do have the directions to a town called 'Bruhl' just up north of here. We were going there until we found you gals here." Don answered pointing north to where the town would supposedly be.

The patrol and the crew decided to go together to the town with the girls giving them a lift and the guys giving them directions to the town.

The ride was smooth and a conversation was struck between the patrol and crew. From how the crew got into a tank and what does a paratrooper do, topics of all sorts were discussed among the group with the chat being lively. From their homes to politics, any topic seemed to be welcome and it went on for a long time. The chat ended abruptly when sounds of gunshots were heard inside the town. The group went into gear with Don scoping out the area with his binoculars.

"Captain, the town is being attacked by guys with red uniforms. There seems to be resistance in the town, but I highly doubt they'll last long. The red guys seem to have armor support ready to roll in. They're also opening fire on the civilians in the town, bastards." Don said putting down his binoculars. Mason and Tanya thought about this for a moment and looked at each other until they have come to the same conclusion; protect the town and its people.

"Alright then, we'll head into the town and see if we can help those defenders. Jake, Mike, you're with me. Don, I need you to head into one of the rooftops and provide cover for us as we move. Lieutenant, think you can back as up here?" "No need to ask, girls button up and load AP. Let's show them not to mess with a T34." Tanya replied while going down the hatch. The group moved into the town, ready to engage the invaders.

* * *

 _Bruhl_

The defenders were now hard pressed to defend the town. They're outnumbered and with the Imperial armor now heading towards their way, their hastily built defences will fall soon enough.

Welkin Gunther got up from his cover and fired at the advancing Imperial troops getting into the town. The Imperials fired back with their tank firing at the town watchmen. One man tried to sprint across the street, but the tank's MG ripped through his legs disabling him. The troops ran past the man while the man was crushed underneath the tank's threads, while screaming for help. Unlike Welkin though, a woman beside him was shocked and enraged at the brutal kill. "You monsters!" She shouted while firing at the advancing troops. Welkin got her immediately under cover as bullets whizzed past them. She was about to pop up until, Welkin stopped her. "Alicia don't, it's not going to bring him back." He said. However, what came next shocked both of them and the remaining defenders.

The tanks soon exploded one by one in mere moments, none of them knowing who fired at them. Imperial troops fired at the direction opposite of them, but were then cut down by a tank unknown to them. 3 men with uniforms also unknown to them also joined the fight and fought on the streets. A lancer came to aim at the tank, but was stopped when a bullet passed through his head. Imperials firing from one of the buildings suppressed the three men, but got an untimely end when the tank's turret turned to them and fired a HE round, completely turning them into mincemeat. The unknown help made short work of the Imperials later on and turned the tide towards the defenders. With help, the town was able to drive out the Imperials into retreat with them kicking and screaming, but a few of them getting a bullet to the back of their heads.

The battle was over and the watchmen came to tend to their wounded and thanked their saviors. Welkin and Alicia went towards 3 men and greeted them with a wave.

"Hello there and welcome to Bruhl. My name is Welkin Gunther and the people here with me are part of the town watch" He said with a smile.

"We're thankful for the help you gave us against the Imperials. Without you guys, this town would surely have fall to them." Welkin said giving out his hand.

One of the men approached him and shook his hand. "You're welcome, but can you tell me where the hell are we?" Mason asked.

"I see that you're not from here then."


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey guys, its me again. Just a note here. If you like the story, fave and follow it. It shows that you guys actually like it. You see something that can be changed for the better? Give me a review. It helps to know what I can do.**

 **Other than that, lets go on with the story**

Chapter 2

 _Fort Amatriain_

A runner was running along the hallways with news that may shock the Gallian commanders. Catching his breath and fixing himself up, he entered a room where 2 commanders were having a meeting. They didn't notice his presence however due to a heated argument between the two commanders.

"Capt. Varrot, my men need the weapons more than your puny militia. My forces can't be fully effective without them." One of the commanders argued. He was a fat man wearing what seems to be an officer's outfit, but not meant for battle, but more for formal events or to just simply be a showoff.

"General Damon Sir, my men can't fight without the weapons and gear. If you can't give us the weapons we need, how are you going to expect us to help Gallia in this war? Your men already have enough weapons and are fully equipped already, my men are not. So I say that the militia needs it more than your regulars." The other argued back with force and determination. She had raven black hair and is wearing glasses and an officer's outfit, but this one is more battle ready yet can be used as formal wear as well. The argument was stalled though when both commanders finally noticed the 3rd man next to them.

Having finally got their attention, the runner saluted the commanders, who saluted back, and relayed the message. "Sir, I've got a message for the both of you, sir."

"Well spit it out then! I don't have all day to listen to you private." The general scoffed.

"Yes sir, our detachment has arrived at Bruhl and you might not believe it, but Bruhl is still in our hands, sir."

"THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE! How can town watchmen be able to repel an invasion force?" The general questioned.

"Well sir, a 3rd force intercepted the Imperials and helped defend the town sir." The runner answered.

Both commanders were shocked by this, with Damon dumbfounded by the news and Varrot intrigued by this third force.

"Do you know the name of this third force private?" "Yes ma'am, a part of the group calls themselves the 'Red Army' and the rest are part of the 'United States Armed Forces'. The most surprising part though ma'am is that the force only consisted of one tank and its crewmen and 4 soldiers." The private replied.

If they weren't shocked before, then they're dumbfounded now. The general, in full disbelief, can't believe the news and denies it, while the captain was now fully intrigued and wanting to meet the group. 'If we can ally ourselves with this group, we might be able to get into the group's good graces and might bring in more of their troops to help us.' Varrot thought. With the idea thought over and over inside her head, she is convinced it is a good idea and one that may help turn the tides in this war to their favor.

"Where is the group now private?" Varrot asked.

"Well ma'am if I remember right, they came to Fort Amatriainn with General Gunther's son with some company joining him inside his tank."

"Really, then I must meet him and the group immediately. Private you're dismissed." The captain saluted back, with him saluting back.

The captain immediately heads out to meet the group.

* * *

The small group have followed Welkin and his tank all the way to Fort Amatriain. They were surprised by the fact that the tank is actually his and not part of the army. The women crew started to think of ways to maybe get ownership of 'Bertha', their tank. They have arrived at the fort and split ways when Welkin and Alicia went to report themselves and Isara driving their tank to the Armory(Research and Development Facility) with 'Bertha' and the paratroopers on top following behind.

The place was filled with machines and the mechanics working in the building. Tanks and other vehicles were scattered all over the area with crates full of parts littering the area. Both tankers asked for a spot on where they can park their tanks and were pointed to a spot where they can be both parked together. They thanked the mechanic and parked both of their tanks. They were soon greeted by two other mechanics of the place. One had goggles resting on the top of his clean brown hair, while the other was wearing glasses and had messy black hair.

"Hey there, welcome to the Armory. This is where we stock up our weapons and gear." The black haired one said.

"The place also serves as our R and D Facility since this is the where we upgrade all our stuff. The name is Leon Schmidt and my friend here is Kreis Czherny." Leon said giving a friendly smile.

"We can't help but be interested in both of your tanks. We were wondering if you guys would let us get a closer look." Kreis said nervously.

Isara thought about it and seem to not mind them giving them a tour of the Edelweiss, while Tanya and the others are hesitant in letting them see their tank. From what they've observed, the tanks inside the facility and the ones they fought in Bruhl are similar to each other. Turret rotation is slow, armor is light, and their guns cannot hope to pierce their armor. The only tank they've deemed a match to theirs' is Isara's Edelweiss which can actually outrun their tank. They didn't fret on this too much though because of the fuel difference that both tanks have. They've found out that their tanks run through something they called 'ragnite' and not oil. They looked at each other and all of them nodded. They'll only let them see and no touching. They don't want them to know Bertha's secrets.

"Sure, I don't mind giving you a tour but, think you can help me with something. There has been a certain clanking noise that I've been hearing from inside and I can't seem to pinpoint where it is. Think you can help me find it?"

"Of course, think of it as our 'thank you' for letting us see your tank." Kreis replied. "What about you girls? Anything you need help with?" Leon asked the women crew.

Dina shook her head. "No need, but thank you for the offer comrade. For your request though, we will only let you see 'Bertha' up close and no touching." The crew grinned from the inside joke that was inside the sentence. Both of them beamed at this and were excited to see 'Bertha' up close though they wished to see the inside, they were satisfied to just have the opportunity to see its design up close.

* * *

While both Isara and Tanya's crew gave them their own respective tours, the 4 paratroopers were bored and went to find a place to eat. Lucky enough, they found the cafeteria and entered the place, but then soon remembered something important; they don't have the right currency.

"Ah shit, do you think they'll accept marks?" Jake pulling out some of the marks he had from his pockets.

"I don't think so. Until we can to talk to someone high up, I highly doubt that we'll be able to buy anything here."

"Aw c'mon, we haven't had any chow ever since we left base camp. I am starving here." Mike complained while holding his 'affected' body part. Like a chorus all 3 of their stomachs growled its message for food. Mason sighed at this until he noticed that Don wasn't with them.

"Hey guys, where is Don?" Mike said also noticing Don's disappearance. The scent of food then entered their noses. They look to see where it came from and they saw Don, eating a burger. They went up close to Don, with all of them wanting to know how Don got some food.

"Cpl."

"Yes Capt.?" Don replied.

"Where'd you get that burger?" The Captain asked a twitch present in his forehead.

Don looked to his burger and realized that he has forgotten to tell them about his discovery.

"Oh yeah right, I forgotten to tell you guys this, but apparently the marks those Krauts have are exactly like the 'ducats' they use here. I found this out when I went to a shop and took a look at their money and I tried it out to buy some stuff earlier and it works. Oh, and I also got us a couple of maps of the place." Don said fishing out the maps that he had obtained.

The 3 are impressed with Don, reminding them that he being a 'Pathfinder' is not just for show. Jake also put in some information about the people. The people here have a certain dislike for a race 'Darcsens', with the Imperials having a deep hatred for them. The information irked Jake deeply since he himself is a Jew. He has heard of what those Krauts did to them and if he can help it, he is not going to let it have a repeat here. The men got themselves to a table and started discussing among themselves what to do and a plan. From minutes of discussing and planning out their moves, they have come to focus on accomplishing these main objectives.

1\. They have to inform Tanya's crew about their situation.

2\. Find an officer of the army and get a meeting to their commander.

3\. Make a pact or alliance with Gallia's Army with them.

4\. Kick the Imperial's asses to where they belong.

5\. And the most important one of them all, find a way to get home.

They also have come to put in some secondary objectives as well.

· Find out how they got here.

· Gather intel on the world and history of its people.

· Acquire funds.

· Find a place for them to rest.

· Make them as independent as possible to the Gallian Army.

* * *

Meanwhile, a few of the Gallian militia have started to talk about the four men. Rosie, Largo, Freesia, Vyse, Emile, and Nina were talking about the 4 men in weird uniforms, wondering what they're here for.

"Do you think they're Imperial spies?" Rosie suggested.

"I highly doubt it. I don't think Imperial spies would want to spy out a cafeteria, especially since there are a lot of eyes here." Largo commented.

"Hmm, maybe they're looking to join the militia." Vyse suggested eating plate full of pancakes.

Nina looked at them once more and shook her head. "I don't think so. By the looks of these guys, they're already part of an army, but which one though. I have never seen uniforms like theirs before." Nina replied with the group nodding to it. Their uniforms are definitely different from the one's they're wearing. They seem to be wearing no armor at all and their uniforms are lined with pockets and belts with pouches in certain areas.

"Ano, I might have heard something, but I am not sure if it's true though." Emile said getting the attention of the group, their eyes and ears now focused on what he has to say.

He took a breath and started. "I was delivering some papers needed by one of the squad leaders when there were a couple of regulars talking to each other. Apparently they came back from a detachment sent to Bruhl."

"Bruhl? You mean that the town the Imperials attacked?" Largo asked.

Emile nodded and continued. "Same one, anyway I've heard that the Imperials there were repelled with major losses." The group was now wide eyed at this.

"How? I know the town has watchmen, but I highly doubt that they're able to repel an invasion force." Rosie questioned Emile while he settled her down and the others so that he can continue.

"From what I heard, a third force intercepted the Imperials and drove them out of town." Emile gulped and readied the bombshell. "But the most surprising thing is that the third force only consisted of a tank and 4 men, with none of them wounded or dead." Emile finished. The group was shocked at this and now wondered how 4 men and a tank could repel an invasion force. They probably have a chance at doing it, but all or most of them would be dead, and that has like a less than 10% chance of it succeeding. It would take a miracle to make that kind of feat. With his curiosity finally getting the better of him, Vyse stood up and decided to go to them, the protests of the group unheard or ignored by him. They just watched him go to them, hoping that nothing bad will happen to him.

"Hey, I can see you guys aren't from here. You guys looking to join the militia?" Vyse said catching the attention of the four men. Mason looked at him with observation and in moments concluded that he is their best chance at getting a meeting with their higher ups right now.

"No, but we wouldn't mind helping you guys in your war though." Mason replied.

Vyse smiled at his reply. "Well were not the kinds to turn down extra help. Everyone knows we need them nowadays. Vyse Inglebard, Gallian Militia. If you don't mind me asking, who are you guys anyway?" Vyse said crossing his hands with the rest of his group now right behind him.

"My name is Capt. Mason Hendricks, 101st Airborne Division." Rosie chuckled at his words.

"So what, you guys like fight with birds or something?" Rosie commented with Largo and Nina chuckling at her remark, while the rest wondered if it's true.

Mike smirked at her. "No. But we do get dropped into behind enemy lines and fuck their shit up." The paratroopers chuckled and smiled at his remark, since it's true of course, while the others had a mix of both shocked and awed faces.

"You're just throwing words at us. I highly doubt you can do the stuff you said." Largo replied.

The men smirked at this and Jake pulled out a small notebook from one of his chest pockets. "We expected you to say that, so…" Jake turned to a specific page of his notebook to a drawing inside. "to prove you wrong, this is a drawing I made of what happened to us out there." Jake showed the drawing to all of them.

The drawing showed when the paratroopers first dropped into Normandy. It shown a couple of C-47's and the skies they were flying in being pelted by heavy flak with a one or two of them crashing down. It also shows the paratroopers getting out of the planes and parachuting into Normandy. The drawing was well made and details were very much present in the drawing. The Gallians were amazed at the drawing, with them taking turns to take a good look at the pictures. To convince them even further, Mike pulled out a picture of him, Jake, Mason, and the rest of his team in the C-47, smiling towards the camera.

"Think we're still throwing words?" Jake and Mike got both their respective stuff from the Gallians, who were still a little shocked from the proof they showed them. They soon introduced themselves to each other. Noticing the good time, Emile asked the paratroopers if they were the four men who intercepted the Imperials in Bruhl.

"Yep, we're the ones who kicked their asses and sent them packing." Mike puffed his chest with pride. The Gallians were awed at this and were curious how the small group took on such a large force all by themselves.

"How did you guys do it?" Freesia asked. The paratroopers were about to answer them when Captain Varrot appeared on the scene. The Cafeteria saluted her and she saluted all of them back. She saw the four men and approached them. The paratroopers got serious when they concluded that she is an officer to the army.

"Are you the men responsible for Bruhl?' She asked. Mason stepped up to her.

"Yes, but were not the only ones though. You forgot the tank crew that was with us." Mason corrected.

"Is that so? Then I would wish to speak to all of you about your presence here. Meet me in the command room when you are ready. My men will escort you to it."

"Okay then. Guys, let's get the ladies from the armory. They're probably wondering where are we." Mason ordered. The group left the cafeteria to find them so they can now talk out a deal with their army.

"Captain"

"Yes Sergeant?"

"Who are those guys?" Largo asked.

"I am not sure, but hopefully, a friend." Varrot replied.


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, I forgot to say this in the last chapter, but updates would probably be unpredictable. You can blame that on college. Hope you'll all stick around though.**

 **Anyways, I am planning a couple of things for this story. One of them will be pairings. Obviously there are some already that I have hinted and some that I am not completely sure yet, but who knows.**

 **Anyhow, let's continue the story.**

 **I don't own Valkyria Chronicles.**

* * *

Chapter 3

 _Fort Amatriain, Command Room_

In the command room, the paratroopers, Bertha's crew, Welkin, Alicia, and Captain Varrot are now all present inside the room. Both Welkin and Alicia are now wearing their new uniforms and have been waiting for a while to report to their captain. Both of them saluted her once she entered and were a bit surprised that their new friends were with her as well. The captain stood behind her table.

"Ma'am, Gallian militia enlistee Welkin Gunther, reporting for duty"

"Ma'am, Gallian militia enlistee Alicia Melchiott, also reporting for duty"

"At ease, I am Capt. Eleanor Varrot, commander of the 3rd Regiment of the Militia. I've heard that you both were also responsible for Bruhl still being in our hands." Varrot sat down and clasped both of her hands lifting them up to her nose.

"Not really ma'am. We were only able to repel the Imperials because these men and women came to our aid." Welkin pointed to the group behind him. The group's members didn't show it, but they were happy that they were given the recognition.

"I see. Then I must thank you all for helping in the town's dire need." Varrot said to the group.

"Not needed. We only did what we thought was right." Tanya replied with the rest of the group nodding their heads to show their approval.

"Very well, Welkin Gunther, you are now a Lieutenant and leader of Squad 7. Alicia Melchiott, you'll be promoted to Sergeant. You'll be under the lieutenant's command. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am" Both of them chorused.

"Good, I expect great things from both of you. Now…" Varrot turned to the group behind the two. "Would you mind telling me who you people are and why have you come to help us?" The group moved in front of Varrot and the two new officers now standing in the sidelines.

"My name is Capt. Mason Hendricks, 101st Airborne Division. Me and my boys here are part of United States Armed Forces.

"And my name is Lt. Tanya Volkov, 5th Guards Tank Army. My crew and I are from the Red Army. We may be from different forces, but our homes are allied with each other." The captain understood this and nodded.

"To answer your second question, we just wanted to help. We didn't even know who we were even helping. We just couldn't stand by and let innocent people die when we could've." Mason stated with the group agreeing to his statement wholeheartedly. Varrot was a bit shocked at his statement, but nevertheless she was happy that they're willing to help people, even if it's not their own.

"Then why've you come here? Surely I don't expect a group like you just to wander off and wind up here." Varrot asked, unknowingly her question hitting the proverbial bullseye to them. Mason scratched his neck while Tanya looked away. Welkin noticed this and wondered if that is what really happened to them. Mason and Tanya straightened themselves out before answering her.

"Well, in all honesty Capt. Varrot that is what actually happened to us." The group then explained their situation to her, with both Welkin and Alicia listening in. From their origin to the situation they're in right now, the group told her, Welkin, and Alicia of it all. The three were a bit hard pressed to believe what they're saying when Welkin had an idea.

"Do both of you have any maps? Anyone would do as long as it came before you have come here." Welkin asked. The group gave him all the maps they had before and Welkin spread them out on Varrot's table. Analysing both of their maps and the map of Europa, he has come to a conclusion that may be far off, but it is the only one that can make sense of their situation.

"Um guys, I know this might be far fetch idea, but I think you guys come from another world."

The group wondered at the answer. "Why do you say that?" Nika asked.

"First of, both of our maps don't match to each other. Second, both of us have never heard of each other's armies, and lastly both of us also have never heard of each other's countries. It is safe to say that through this 'fog' that you wound up in our world." Welkin explained. The group pondered Welkin's explanation, but can't find any holes in his reasoning. As much as they want to deny it, it pretty much stands out that they're now not in their world. They were saddened when they realized the fact that they might never be able to return home. Sure this place is nice and all and might be nicer than some of the others' homes, but that is where their family and friends lived.

"If it is any consolation, we can give you all a citizenship to Gallia. That way all of you are be able get a home in our country. It is the least we can do for helping us out in Bruhl." Varrot said.

"Thank you, comrade Captain. We won't forget your kindness to us." Tanya said. She bowed her head in thanks to Varrot. The group appreciated this and it just solidified the paratroopers' thoughts on allying up Gallia.

"Capt., I can't say for the ladies here, but me and my men would want to ally ourselves to your militia. We have three conditions though, but other than that, we would gladly fight beside your men." Mason exclaimed with the paratroopers nodding in agreement. Bertha's crew was a bit surprised. Varrot was happy at the turn of events, but a bit worried at the conditions.

"I am glad that you want to help us, but what are these conditions?" Varrot replied.

"First, me and my guys can't be assimilated into your army. We want to be independent of your chain of command."

"And why is that Capt. Mason?" Varrot asked.

"In case that 'reinforcements' comes through the fog, I don't think they'll appreciate seeing one of their soldiers wearing another army's uniform." Mason explained, though that reason is just a part of why they don't want to be assimilated into the army. Along the way, they've heard some questionable things about the state of their army, enough that they don't want to be part of it. Varrot can see though that is just a part of the reasons why they don't want to be assimilated by the army. She knows the state of Gallia's army and it's not good. Nobles and glory seekers, not knowing the first thing about leading, are given high positions in command and politics get in the way of command too much. If it weren't for the few good ones out there actually doing work, the war would've been just a slaughter. Varrot can't help but agree to it.

"I can agree to that, but instead of the army, I'll have you technically be part of the militia under my command. Don't worry; I am not the kind to let my men die needlessly and you can keep using the gear that you have." Varrot replied seriously. The men were relieved that they're in good hands. They've already lost friends because the one leading them is incompetent. No way would they want a repeat of that now.

"Second, is there a way you can supply us our ammo for our weapons? We're wondering if your army can supply us the ammo we need to fight. We've only brought so much with us until we run out." Don explained. Varrot eyed their weapons and gear and true enough there is a massive difference between the two armies, but the technology similar enough that their engineers won't have a problem with producing the rounds they need.

"I'll see if my engineers can supply the rounds you need. Last one?"

"Well to put it simply, we just want to get paid along the way. If we are really going to stay here and make this our home, some money would be helpful to us in the long run." Varrot chuckled a little at this since they didn't need to ask such a thing. Since they're becoming a Gallian citizen and they will become technically part of the army, they'll get paid anyway.

"Well that is simple. Since you're becoming a citizen of Gallia and you're joining us, you will get paid like the rest of us. Though I am not sure what is the pay you were receiving before in your world, we can smooth out the details later. If that is all, are there any more questions?"

"Yes there is one more. What about you ladies? What are you going to do?" Don asked the tank crew. The tank crew looked at each other and huddled for a bit, until they all agreed that an agreement similar to paratroopers would be beneficial to them.

"Da, like comrade Mason and his team, my crew and I would also want to have a similar agreement with Gallia. One problem though is that our tank runs on a different fuel compared to your ragnite. We would need help on seeing if our tank can use your fuel and if need to, help in converting to it." Tanya said.

"I can get my engineers to help you, but in exchange, we want your help in improving our tanks. I've heard that your tank is more advanced than the ones we have right now."

"It is a deal then comrade." Tanya said shaking the hand of the one in front of her.

Varrot smiled at the outcome. Not only has Gallia have gotten experienced soldiers in her army, and a technological boost, but potential allies that can help turn the tides of war to their favor. Varrot may not know yet, but this agreement would be a stepping stone to something unheard of before, an alliance between two different worlds.

"If that is the case, Capt. Mason, Lt. Tanya, you and your group would now be Squad 17. The ranks you hold will be the same. The design of your insignia can depend on your group. If you want to expand your squad, just come to me. There is also a strategy meeting in the next few hours for the squad leaders. Are there any questions?" Everyone shook their heads.

"If that is the case, you're all dismissed."

* * *

 _Fort Amatriain, Barracks_

The newly created Squad 17 are now inside one of the 2 rooms they've been given, one each for both groups. It wasn't small, but it's not big either. The room consisted of 2 bunk beds, a small bathroom, and a small area that can be considered a living area. The group were relaxing with Tanya and Mason sitting next to each other at one of the beds, Nina and Nika sitting at the other bed, Dina and Mike on the floor, Anna sitting on a chair nearby, and Don on the top bunk. They also agreed that they can just refer to each other by their names as long as they're not in a serious situation.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Dina asked.

"Obviously we'll start helping these guys with their Imperial problem." Mike replied.

"Well yeah that, but what I meant is what are we going to do after this?" The men and women wondered at the question.

"Well I don't know about you guys, but I am going to inherit my family's shop." Jake chimed in. The women were curious.

"Oh yeah, what kind of shop does your family run." Nika asked.

Jake smiled at this. He fished out his notebook and turned to a specific page. Inside are a couple of dress and suit designs. They're only pencil sketches though, but detail is evident in the drawings. Different designs were present in the page. Some dresses were meant to be inside a wedding while others are more for a casual event. There are also some tie designs with parts of it being labelled to which color it should have. The girls are impressed by the designs and didn't expect it to come from one of the four men.

"Before the war, I was a tailor inside my family's clothes shop. If you visit the shop, you could actually see that some of the designs are in the shop ready to be sold." Jake remembered the first time his designs were put up into the shop. The first was a tie design that he came up with during work. He showed his dad and mom the design and they were impressed. They made 10 as a test if the customers would come to buy it and surprisingly all 10 were sold. They soon came to make more of the ties and it wound up being one of their signature designs.

"Wow Jake, I didn't expect for you to be a tailor. Does your shop make wedding dresses?" Tanya asked.

"Not so fast Tanya, I already got him to make my suit first." Mason replied. The men and women chuckled at this, while Tanya pouted at the statement.

"Yes. Yes we do, but it's not only the Capt. who made reservations too, you know. All three of them made reservations for themselves. If you want, you can be next after Don." Jake turned to the page meant for reservations. Tanya agreed to it and has made reservations for a custom made dress after he was done with all of the men. The men were a bit curious, especially Mason, on why would the woman wants a wedding dress.

The men have to admit thought that the women with them right now were all beautiful in their own right and they would deem themselves lucky if they ever have a chance to be with them.

Tanya has long blonde hair reaching half of her back with her being styled into a ponytail. Her body is of an athlete, fit and muscles visible in some area, but not enough to take away her womanly charm, but rather add to it. She has soft white skin and blue eyes that seem to be endless. Mason can't help, but be caught staring at them sometimes when they're having a chat.

Unlike Tanya, Anna has short black hair just reaching above her shoulders and a light tanned skin. Her body though is more of a mix between an athlete's and a model's, with her curves more emphasized and her 'assets' a bit larger than the others. She also has gray eyes and heart shaped face.

Nika for the while has brown hair that reaches past her shoulders with a lock of her hair being braided in a particular style on her left side. She is the shortest, standing at 5'2 and her body build being straight. She has a round face and a small nose that the crew call cute.

Dina though is the tallest of them all, standing at a 5'9'. Her body is the most fit amongst the crew with scars visible on some areas. She has gotten them on her job as a factory worker which consisted of heavy lifting on her part and some on the battlefield. She has white skin with some rough areas and hair that is a mix of both dark blue and black. She may seem a rough individual to deal with, but under there lays a warm and caring heart.

Last, but not the least is Nina. She has dark brown hair that goes beyond her shoulders, but not reaching to half of her back. Her body is of a similar built to Nina, but her height being taller and her most noticeable thing about her is her eyes. She has heterochromia iridium, which causes her eyes to have brown on the left and green on the right.

Mason was about to ask the question to Tanya when a loud growling noise came from all of them, except Don.

"Ah shit, we haven't even eaten anything yet. Jake, think I can borrow some money? I am starving here." Mike pleaded to Jake, who sweatdropped.

"Don't you have some of your own?"

"I never bothered taking some since I thought it was useless until now. Look, I'll pay you back later if you want." Jake relented and gave him some of his marks with Mike cheering for his victory.

"Wait a minute, you mean those marks the Germans use can be used here?" Nika asked with a glint present in her eyes.

'Yep, I've tried it out already and they work." Don replied. Nika happily nodded to this and was full of glee, while the rest of the crew were sending her jealous glares, which the men find puzzling.

What they didn't know though is that Nika has been collecting currency of many different countries, especially marks, ever since she joined the army. All of the marks she has come to collect filled an ammo box inside their tank with the rest of the collection also inside another ammo box. The crew knew of this and just left it as a quirk that can do no harm and maybe a little good in the future. They didn't know then that the marks she collected would be the most useful thing to them now. Right now, the men are seeing is a very happy Nika with a smug look, Tanya having a poker face (though she is jealous inside), Anna with a calm face, hoping she can get some of the money since she gave Nika all the notes and coins she finds, with Nina and Dina looking depressed, regretting telling that her 'hobby' is just a waste of time.

"Well…well…well, don't the two of you have something to say to me? Hmm…" Nika said with a smug look. Both of the two women flinched at this. They turned to her and both bowed their heads….low.

"We're sorry that we ever doubted you. We were both wrong to call your hobby a waste of time" Both chorused.

"And…" Nika gave a grin, getting a little wider at each passing moment.

"We're both stupid and you're smarter than us." Both finished. Nika then hit both of their heads which both made them hold the spot they were hit. They rubbed the spot in an effort to ease their pain.

"Apology accepted." Nika gave them a 'thumbs up' and a grin, which both women were happy to know that they're not in her crosshairs anymore. The men were about to ask what just happened, when Nika gave them an explanation. The men laughed at this, with Dina and Nika pouting at them, and the men giving Nika a 'high five'. With that over, the group decided to go to Bertha first before going to the cafeteria to get a meal well deserved.

* * *

 _Fort Amatriain, Command Room_

Mason and Tanya both entered the room to see Varrot, Welkin, and another man next to them. Welkin introduced them to the man whose name is Faldio Landzaat. He is a friend of Welkind and like him; he is also the leader of a squad. Both exchanged introductions to each other and the meeting started.

"Gentlemen….and Lady" Tanya nodded. "We have now received our orders. Our mission is to retake the Great Vasel Bridge."

"The Great Vasel Bridge?" Welkin asked.

"It is a major drawbridge outside of Vasel, just outside the capital." Faldio answered.

"Yes, it is also a part of the central transit, leading straight to Randgriz." Varrot said.

"With that in their hands, the Imperials can easily march all the way to the capital." Tanya said.

"Correct. Our mission is to retake the bridge before Imperial reinforcements arrive. I will be deploying Squads 1, 7, and 17 for this mission. The rest will clear the rest of the western embankment. Lt. Landzaat, I want your squad to cover Squads 7 and 17 while they attempt to retake the first bridgehead. Lt. Gunther, your squad will retake the bridgehead as quick as you can and secure it. Squad 17 will support you in your assault, any questions?" Mason raised his hand.

"Okay, once we have taken the first bridgehead, what is the plan for the second one? Do we have any support from the army?" Don inquired. He has gotten first-hand experience with bridges in Operation Market Garden and knows that this kid of engagement can easily turn into a one-sided slaughter.

Varrot sighed for what she was about to say. "Yes, but unfortunately, they will only support us once we have engaged the other bridgehead, head on." All of the officers present were shocked at the news.

"But ma'am, the Imperials would surely have defences set up for us once we take the first bridgehead. They'll be expecting us on the other side. Our troops would be hard pressed to capture the bridge." Faldio exclaimed.

"I agree with him. The bridge can wind up still being in their hands with us having heavy casualties on our side. It'll be slaughter." Mason added in.

"I know, but we are all soldiers. We joined up knowing we can face odds such as these and be dealt the tough missions." All of them can only nod at this solemnly. They know what they have been expected to do when they joined the army.

"I am not saying you're all wrong though. Breaching that bridge ourselves…., it will be tough with the odds against us." They were interrupted when a fat man entered the room suddenly. They all turned to the sudden intruder.

"How quaint, the militia is holding a little strategy meeting of their own. How long were you hiding out here Varrot?" the man said in arrogance. One look at him and already both Tanya and Mason hates the man's guts already.

"My apologies sir, we'll depart soon." Varrot replied.

The man just scoffed at her. "Whatever, you're all just country mice. It's not like you'lll be of much help anyway." The officers glared at him, but Varrot only gave a small, but noticeable smirk.

"More help perhaps, than your army unit that couldn't hold the bridge in the first place." Varrot replied smugly. Both Mason and Tanya can barely hold their chuckling, but managed to smirk at the man with both Welkin and Faldio. The man seethed at her reply and this only made both Mason and Tanya start chuckling a bit.

"Regardless, Vasel remains a critical position. We'll reclaim it immediately."

"Well good. See that you do." And with that, the man just simply left.

"Okay, who is that fat little _suka_ who interrupted us?" Tanya asked.

"General Damon, commander of the Central forces." Faldio replied.

"Wait, that little retard over there is a general of your forces? Please tell me you're joking." Mason asked in shock.

"Wait, isn't the Central Forces the branch the Militia was folded into?" Welkin also asked.

"Unfortunately, I am not joking and you're right Welkin. The man is an aristocrat; he looks down on the common militia." Faldio answered.

"Well shit, pardon my language, but that man is a complete retard to think of such a thing. Why would you look down on the ones helping you?" Mason replied.

Welkin agreed. "I agree; it doesn't make any sense. Shouldn't we be all banding together to keep Gallia safe?"

"You're both right. Now that the war has begun every man and ally in the army is essential to us. Who cares if you're part of the regulars or the militia, we all fight to keep Gallia safe." Faldio answered with the rest of them nodding in agreement.

"Well anyway, back to the mission. Does everyone understand their roles in this?" All of them nodded, understanding the roles their taking.

"I am counting you all of this. If we fail, Gallia will fall. Now everyone, move out!"


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey there guys, its me again. Sorry that it took me so long for me to make this. College is being a bit of an ass right now, but thankfully I was able to find some time to finish it. Hopefully I'll be able to update this more frequently in the coming days.**

 **Oh and to the Guest who reviewed me and others like him, if you're expecting details on how they got to Europa, just think about the Bermuda Triangle and leave it as that.**

 **Anyways, on with the story.**

* * *

Chapter 4

Squads 7 and 17 are about to engage the Imperials. Squad 1 have drawn most of the Imperials from the bridgehead and it is now up to them to finish the job. Squad 7 and 17 pushed into the streets and have engaged the enemy defenders. Using the Edelweiss as cover, the squad moved to each side of the streets, clearing any building that may house Imperials. Mike, Vyse, Alicia, and Freesia entered a three story building to clear out the Imperials suppressing the rest of the squad. Mike kicked the door in and fired his BAR at the Imperials surprised by him. They entered the room, but took cover when bullets whizzed past them. The man was firing at them from the second floor through a large hole in the ceiling, presumably made by artillery. Due to the angle of where they're in, none of them have a clear shot to the man.

"Guys, think you can give me covering fire at that man. I'll need it to get a clean shot at the guy." Mike shouted to the others.

"Mike, don't do anything stupid!" Alicia shouted back.

"Look, we can either stay here and be picked off or listen to me and let me kill that guy, your choice." Mike replied.

Alicia looked at the others and both nodded to her, agreeing with him. With a heavy sigh, Alicia and the others fired at the man's direction. The man hid to avoid fire and with this, Mike sprinted to his direction. The man blindfired from his cover, but none hit anything worthwhile. With him sliding on his back, Mike threw a grenade through the hole and it landed at the man's back. The man's torso split from his lower body when the grenade exploded, the torso landing just above Mike. Alicia vomited from the gruesome sight, while Vyse and Freesia held what they ate, barely. They cleared out the rest of the building, with none of them injured.

* * *

Meanwhile, three Imperial tanks entered the fray and fired at the Edelweiss, their rounds bouncing off its armor. Bertha drove to the side of the Edelweiss and fired at one of them. The round pierced the front armor and ignited a fire inside the tank. The crew tried to escape or put it out, but it was futile nonetheless and the fire roasted the crew. A stream of fire erupted from the tank's cupola. Anna grinned at her handiwork and Dina loaded another round.

"Hehehe, eat armor-piercing crap you _pizda. SHOT OUT!_ " Anna pulled the trigger and the round pierced the second tank. The round pierced the front also like the first tank, but has instead pierced the ammo storage of it too. This caused an explosion within the tank and it caused the turret to separate from its body and fly upwards, the bottom a smouldering wreck with fire still burning on the inside. The third tank tried to turn away, but was stopped when the turret landed on top of the tank. With the tank's ass shown to the tankers, they gave an evil grin that is enough to make a man turn tail. Dina loaded one more round into the chamber and with no mercy; Anna ended the tank and its crew. The tank exploded and what is left is just a burning pile of scrap metal. What is most amazing about this is that Bertha took out the three tanks within 45 seconds. The Edelweiss crew can only be shock at their skill. They didn't even need to fire a single round.

* * *

Don, Marina, and Emile have made positions to a rooftop overlooking the area they're in. Don's M1903A2 rifle is different from the Gallian's GSR rifles. Not just in appearance, but the fact that they have to reload each time they fire is massively different to Don just cycling the action in his rifle. Don found a sniper in taking position in one of the windows. With intense focus, he lined up his shot and his breath steadied; he pulled the trigger and the sniper was no more, with a bullet going through his scope and into his brain matter. Marina found a target of her own, a lancer making its way to one of the two tanks. Marina looked at Don and wondered, why isn't he putting in another round?

"Aren't you going to load it?" Marina said putting in a fresh round into her rifle. Don looked at her with an eyebrow raised, while Emile was just shocked that Marina, 'Lone Wolf Marina', actually started a conversation. Don answered her question by cycling the bolt in his rifle and shooting a running Imperial. Marina was impressed, but then shifted her focused back to the Imperials. They stayed for a while in the rooftop, picking out any enemy targets, until Don stood up.

"I can't see anything else worth here; we need to move to get a better visual." Don said. Both of them agreed and were about to head downstairs when Don ran up to a wall and jumped to the other building's rooftop, beside the one they're at. The building had a higher elevation than the one they were in and provided more visual on the areas below. Marina and Emile were stunned by his action, but were shaken out of it when Don was shouting at them.

"Hey, you guys need to get up here. C'mon." Don motioned his hands get near to the wall of the other building. The buildings were connected to each other so there was no gap between them.

"Run up the wall and jump as high as you can. If you can, reach for my hand and grab it and I'll lift you up. I'll try and catch you if you're going to fall." Don said his hands reaching out to them. Emile decided to go first and run up the wall and jumped, grabbing Don's hand. Don smiled and lifted the guy up and gave him a pat on the back. Emile thanked him and took up position. Marina looked at the wall and was nervous, but it didn't last and was shaken off immediately. Marina runned up the wall, but due to a misstep has instead jumped back.

Her eyes widened when her body shifted to fall back to the ground, her hand reaching out and was luckily caught by Don in the right moment. Don pulled her up and both of them catching their breath. Marina looked at Don's eyes. Black was its color and it looked deep enough to be lost in. Marina stepped back from him a little out of embarrassment, with Don seeing the blush on her cheeks. Don smiled at this and put a hand on her shoulder, pretending to be oblivious. Marina blushed a little heavier, but nonetheless tried to keep a straight face.

"Hey, you alright? You seem red all of a sudden." Don said with a smirk. Marina can only look down and nod, the floor looking very good to her right now. Don chuckled inwardly at the actions of the shy 'wolf'. Don decided to let it go for the while; they still have a job to do. With a pat on the back, Don and Marina took up positions near each other. With a little blush still present, Marina leaned near Don's ear and muttered a small 'thank you' before she refocused. Don looked at her and unblinking saw the determination and cold focus on Marina's face, but then remembered the hidden side that he got to see in her. Don smiled and chuckled inwardly from a single thought. 'I am starting to like this place a lot more already'.

* * *

Within an hour of fighting, Squads 7 and 17 have taken the first bridgehead and the rest of the militia have now setup defences. Tanya, Mason, Welkin, and Faldio have now met up with Varrot in a building set up to be their HQ.

"Congratulations on your first victories Lt. Gunther, Lt. Landzaat; I expect more of them in the future." Varrot said.

"Thank you ma'am, we won't let you down." Both said, saluting her. She saluted back.

"Well now that we are all here, does anybody have an alternative to attacking the bridgehead head on?" Mason asked. The officers looked at each other and soon focused on Welkin who raised his hand.

"Well actually I have one that might work. It's a little crazy, but it can work." Welkin answered. The others were a little surprised how fast he was able to come up with a plan and wondered where he got the idea.

"You work fast comrade Lieutenant. So tell us of this crazy plan of yours." Tanya said. The others were now focused on what his plan entails for them. Welkin nodded and started to explain.

"After the battle, I came to observe the area around the bridge. What I found there can be our ticket to getting across that bridge."

"And what did you exactly find there Welkin?" Faldio asked.

"Mistlereed, a tall aquatic plant found in the estuaries of some river." The rest sweatdropped at this.

"Uh, how does a plant help us take back the bridge?" Mason asked, confused by his answer.

"Well my plan is to go through the river instead at dawn; the fog will cover our advance to the other side." The others are surprised by the plan, but Tanya saw what it might become.

"But comrade, it is foolish to attack without any support, especially armor. Are you suggesting we attack with just infantry?" Tanya replied in a serious tone. She has seen what her higher ups have done to their own conscripts, sending their own scores of men to charge foolishly a well-defended and fortified position, to only be cut down like animals to a slaughter. She wouldn't want that to happen to them now, not if she can help it.

Welkin shook his head at the reply. "Nope, I am planning to equip the Edelweiss with water-resistant measures for it to able to go across the river." The others were now having different reactions. Mason and Tanya were shocked, thinking that such a thing can't be possible, Faldio was impressed by the plan's ingenuity, and Varrot pondered for any flaws at the plan and soon come to find one.

"But Lt. Gunther, ships pass through that river. Even if your tank is equipped with the measures, I highly doubt it can stand to the depth of the river."

"That is the thing, remember the Mistlereed? That shows a shallow stretch running along the river. I plan to use that stretch to get the Edelweiss across. With that said, once the Edelweiss is equipped with the measures, Squad 7 will be ready to take back the bridge." Welkin finished and gave a confident look to the others. The others looked to each other and all of them agreed; his plan will be used.

"Alright then, we shall proceed with your plan Lt. Gunther. Lt. Volkov, think your tank can be equipped with the same water-resistant measures? If so, I want your crew to join him in the attack; if not, your crew will help Squad 1 in defending our side of the bridge."

"Yes comrade Captain." _'Don't you worry about us not joining; I will find a way to use those measures on Bertha. It is not everyday you can get a chance to drive a tank underwater. Oh the girls would love this.'_ Tanya grinned at the thought.

"Capt. Hendrix, I want you and your men to support Squad 7 on the attack and if you can, capture the bridge controls on the other side. This will dash any attempts of the enemy attacking our side."

"You got it Captain."

"Good. Capt. Landzaat, I now want you and-" "Welkin, Tanya! We have a problem" Alicia barged in, interrupting the meeting.

"Sgt. Melchiott, what is it?" The officers turned to her.

"Oh I, Sorry to interrupt the meeting." Alicia said, a little embarrassed by her action.

"It's okay, we were about to just finish. Now, I assume you have something urgent to tell us?"

"Yes Captain." She turned now to both Welkin and Tanya. "Welkin, er, I mean, Lt. Gunther, Lt. Volkov, both of your squads are at each other's throats." Alicia said, catching her breath from the run she took.

"What? Please explain Sergeant." Tanya asked urgently.

"Yes Lieutenant. I wasn't there from the beginning, but from what I gathered from the scene, an argument broke out between one members of each squad. Please, you have to stop them. Last I seen, Mike and Largo are barely holding each other back and one of them had a shovel with her." Tanya paled at this and immediately knows who one of them is, but Welkin was apprehensive at breaking both of them.

"Sgt. Melchiott, lead me to them quick, Lt. Gunther, you're coming with me." Tanya said dragging Welkin along with her to the scene.

What they saw made Tanya and Welkin widen their eyes in shock. Mike was barely holding back a very angry Dina with a Master lock, with her flailing around to try and escape it, Largo lifting Rosie of the ground with her also flailing around, and Isara trying to calm both of them down.

"NOW WHAT IN STALIN'S NAME IS GOING ON HERE?!" Tanya screamed to the two. The two women calmed down for the while and both Mike and Largo let them go, but still cautious of the two, with the both of them ready to hold back again their own respective targets.

"Well, I am waiting for an explanation here, especially from you, Pvt. Ivashin." Tanya said glaring at the two. The two got nervous at it, but it was immediately replaced by anger when both glanced at each other. Both glared at each other for a bit, but a cough from Tanya got both of their attention.

"Well, I was just explaining to this dark-hair here that she has no place fighting on our side." Rosie said first.

"And how does me and Isara having dark blue hair have to do anything with our abilities. We can fight as well as anybody in this army of yours. In fact, I can kick your ass in more ways than you'll ever know." Dina replied.

"Oh yeah, Hn, care to prove it." Rosie rolled up her sleeves.

"Gladly" Dina grinned while raising her shovel.

"Enough! Dina, you will stand down now or I swear I will have you cleaning the 'Bertha' whole by yourself for a month." Dina grinded her teeth in frustration, but she followed the order nevertheless. Tanya can only sigh, hold the bridge of her nose and turn towards Welkin.

"I apologize for the actions of my subordinate and I take full responsibility for it."

"No apologies needed Lt. Volkov." Welkin replied. Tanya and Dina(who was uttering a string of Russian curses) left before the situation can get any worse.

"Okay, I want you to tell me this, what the hell is wrong with you? What does she…" Mike pointed to Isara. "…and Dina having dark hair has to do with anything?" Mike shouted at her.

"Now that is simple, I am not going to fight with any Darcsen scum. Her kind has a bad enough reputation and I am sure that she'll be the cause of our deaths soon enough."

"Oh yes, I have heard what you say about us,…" Isara interrupted. "…but we're all still human beings, the same as you. Besides, no evidence can substantiate what you call "The Darcsen Calamity", it is a myth."

"Excuse me, now you're saying I am stupid now!"

"That is enough!" Welkin said stepping in between them.

"Look boy-o, she ain't going to fight with a Dracsen under your command and I ain't going to fight under some hotshot greenhorn. So, what are you going to do about it?" Largo said, putting his cigarette out.

Welkin smirked at this and gave his reply. "Fine then Largo, I'll make you a deal. I'll have this bridge in Gallia's hands in less than 48 hours. If I do that, both of you will listen to my commands, whether you like it or not."

"And if you don't?" Largo asked.

"Then I'll resign and Squad 7 will be yours."

"Ha ha ha ha, your funeral, boy-o. You sure about this?"

"Yeah, yes I am."

"Well kid, I wish you luck with finding a plan to do this feat of yours, you're going to need it." With that said, Largo and Rosie left the others.

"Welkin, are you sure about this? I mean, how will we retake the bridge in less than 2 days?" Alicia asked.

"I am so sorry Welks. If it weren't for me, we might not be in this situation."

"Don't be sorry for standing up for your own people Isara. If I were in your shoes, I would be pissed if someone says something like that to me." Mike said, giving Isara a 'thumbs up'.

"Mike is right. You don't have to apologize for something like that. Besides, I already have a plan that we can use. I have also explained it to the others too in the meeting."

"Really, what is it then?" Isara asked. Welkin then proceeded to tell them about his plan. The three were surprised by it and have come to go with it. Isara have gone ahead to the armory to tune up the Edelweiss and Bertha if she can. Mike went to find the others and Alicia went with Welkin to explain his plan to the rest of Squad 7. The plan is now being prepared to for its execution and in the coming hours, Squad 7 and 17 will take their first steps to becoming a legend.

* * *

 _Vasel East Bank, 0530._

The commander was sleeping soundly in his quarters when a soldier suddenly entered his room, waking the man up.

"Sir, the Gallians are attacking!" The soldier shouted to his superior.

"What! We cannot let this bridge be taken back. Gather all the men you can find and defend this position. The army needs this bridge to be held. Go now!"

"Yes sir!" The man bolted out of the room, finding whatever fellows he can find. The commander immediately went to dress himself, but unknowingly have come to be targeted. A bullet went through the window the commander was standing in front of, finding a very comfy spot in the noggin of the commander. He died while trying to get his pants up to his waist, his body now sprawled on the floor, pants back to his ankles, undies revealed. Don grinned at the shot he just made and have come to archive it in his mind as one of the best shots he has taken. He was on the rooftop of a building alone, sniping whatever opportunities he can find, ever since the operation started. He parkoured his way to another rooftop, just above the group he was supporting.

The paratroopers of Squad 17 and some members of Squad 7 would be responsible for retaking the bridge controls, and if possible, as quietly as they can, while the rest will take back the east bank. Thanks to Don's sniping, the Imperials in the area can't move to freely due to the risk of them finding a new hole to their heads, thus allowing the group to get as near as they can to the bridge controls, though there are problems. The controls are guarded by eight men, three inside the small building and five taking cover behind the sandbag walls they constructed. The group were on the left flank of the controls, the paratroopers plus Vyse, Freesia, Aisha, Nina, and Audrey just behind a stone wall connected to a house. The paratroopers were very shocked to find a 12-year old amongst them and thought that this must be some sort of mistake, but she herself clarified that it isn't. The men were going to have a talk about this when they were done. Don signalled Mason through hand signals the number of guards and their positions. Mason turned to the group.

"Alright, we have 8 men guarding the control building, four scouts, three stormtroopers, and an engineer. One of each is inside the building, while the rest are taking cover behind the sandbags. Mike, Nina, and Audrey, I want you to find a window in the house and provide suppressing fire for us, while Don will provide keep a lookout for any reinforcements. The rest of us will assault the controls. Move fast and use grenades if you have them. Once we take the controls we wait and observe. Questions?" The others shook their head.

"Good. Mike, you'll start us off. Once he fires, we move. Everyone get ready." Mason signalled Don his role and nodded as a reply, while the three entered the house through the back door and found themselves on the second floor windows. Mike loaded a fresh magazine; Nina peeked through her window, and Audrey inspected her lance, with Mike wondering at the weapon she holds.

"Hey, I have question." Mike asked the lancer.

"Shoot." Audrey replied.

"How accurate are you with that thing?" Audrey thought about it for a moment before she gave her reply.

"I can at least shoot this from at least 50m. Why?"

"Can you take out their sandbags with that lance of your from here?" She nodded as a reply.

"Great. I want you to fire first and take out their cover. That'll leave the bastards in the open." Audrey nodded once more and both of them went towards their respective windows. Audrey aimed her lance as best as she could towards them. The warhead went off towards its target, smoke trailing its tail. The guards didn't see it coming and two of them were blown to bits by the blast. Mike and Nina went to work immediately, firing at the guards. Their cover blown, the remaining ones went to get inside the control building, but two were caught in the crossfire, both now dead. The guards in the building fired at the two, both groups trading bullets with each other, while the others moved up as close as they can get to the building without being seen. Without any warning, Vyse and Aisha armed their grenades and threw it inside the building.

"GRENADES!" The occupants shouted and tried to bolt out of the building, but were too late, the grenades killing them all before anybody could step out through the door. The group moved to secure the control building and found no one else inside. Don signalled to them that the area was clear for now, with no one coming near them. With that said, they went ahead to clear out the bodies and setup defences. If they want this bridge, they're going to have to die a lot more to get it back. Jake and Vyse went ahead to hide the bodies in a nearby hay cart, Mason and Aisha inspected the bridge controls, with the rest keeping a lookout.

They didn't encounter anything for the last hour or so, but that didn't last. A column of armor and infantry are looking to cross the bridge to take back the west bank. Don saw this and immediately signalled the group of their coming. Mason cursed inwardly. They don't have enough manpower to counter such a group. The captain thought of anything to come up with a plan, but Aisha interrupted him.

"Captain Hendrix, I think I have a plan to neutralize the threat, one that doesn't even involve us firing a single shot." Mason was sceptical, but decided to listen to the kid's plan.

"Okay then, what is it?" Aisha gave him a grin and went to tell him the plan. As the plan is told, Mason's eyes went wider and wider at the genius of it. Aisha chuckled at Mason's shocked face. Mason immediately gathered all of them and had Aisha tell them of her plan. She laughed at shocked faces that all of them had.

* * *

A column of armor and infantry are advancing towards the west bank through the bridge. Their objective? Capture the west bank of the city and cut off the Gallian attackers' their escape route. A plan was formed to encircle the attackers and cut off their escape in case of a breakout. The commander of the column received the order from his superior a few hours back, not knowing that the encirclement failed and the east bank was in the verge of capture. He stopped the tank just in front of the bridge and saluted the 'guard' guarding the bridge, with him saluting back.

"Tell me soldier, has anyone attacked your station?"

"No sir, we have been on guard for the past couple of hours for an attack, but none found us, sir."

"Is that so? Well carry on soldier."

"Sir, yes sir!" The 'guard' saluted the commander. The commander motioned the column to move and the column went ahead to the bridge. The 'guard' cannot help but grin at the soon to come sight. The column was halfway across the bridge when suddenly, the bridge shook. The column went in full alert, not knowing they have just doomed themselves. The bridge started to move, retracting the platform it has. The column tried to get out of the trap they entered, but it was all for naught. Tanks tried to climb the incline they are now facing and soldiers cling to the bridges side, only both to fall moments later. In one moment, a column of armor and infantry was immediately wiped out. The Gallians in both sides can only marvel at the scene that they just saw, but a 12-year old girl holding the bridge controls marveling it more. She can only smile at her handiwork.


	6. Chapter 5

**Hello again and I FINALLY HAVE FINISHED THIS CHAPTER. *Celebrations were made***

 **I am sorry for the long wait I have made you guys do, but like I said, I will be posting unexpectedly, since due to college and my writing habits. This took me a while cause I had to rack my brains for the proper ideas I should use for this chapter. Good thing is though is that this is the longest chapter I have made to date for this fanfiction, hooray!**

 **Oh and to _FOFF_ who reviewed me about planes, oh don't worry my friend, you will be seeing planes here alright, but such a big entrance deserves a big target, don't you think so? Oh and I am also going to introduce couple of characters to the story, to expand the small squad of course.**

 **Well anyway, enough of my rambling and on to the story.**

* * *

Chapter 5

 _Fort Amatriain, Barracks_

After the defeat of the Imperials in Vasel, the militia were ordered back to base for rest and refitting. Isara and Bertha's crew went to the armory to help finish the new engine made for Bertha. The squad leaders were all called for a meeting. That left the others to their own devices for the time being. Mike and Don were walking towards the canteen for some chow, but a thought came to his head.

"Hey Don, remember that stunt you did back in Market Garden?" Mike asked his fellow paratrooper.

"What stunt are you talking about?"

"You know, the time you went and climbed all the way to the top of that bell tower?"

"Yeah, I remember that you assholes betted if I was going to fall or reach the top of that tower. What about it?"

"Well…." Mike stopped to look to his right at the fort's watchtower. The tower was embedded into the fort's wall and was only accessible if you were on top of the wall. It stands at 67 feet on top of the wall, 190 feet if you count the wall. Don realized where this was going and pondered the thought of climbing the obstacle. He observed the building for any possible routes to the top and luckily for him found multiple ways to reach it. He grinned and nodded at him, Mike returning it with same actions. Both minds had one thought, ' _Time to make some money'_

* * *

 _Meanwhile…Fort Amatriain, Command Room_

A meeting was held with the leaders of Squad 7 and 17 with Capt. Varrot.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I have gathered all of you for some news. General Damon and his troops were defeated at Kloden Forest." Don and Tanya snorted at the news.

"I swear, that fat fuck can't even command a squad with pointy sticks if he tries." Tanya agreed while the others sweatdropped at the vocabulary.

"Anyways, we have orders to take a supply base inside the forest. The supplies and base in the forest is critical to the Imperials foothold in Gallia. Lt. Gunther, you and your squad would be taking over the base, while Capt. Hendrix and Lt. Volkov would try and hold back any enemy reinforcements coming your way. Any questions?" Don raised his hand.

"If we're going to do this right, my men and I need a couple of things, grenades and mines of both type (anti-infantry and anti-tank), demo charges, and their instructions on how to use them." Don finished.

"I'll also need some camouflage netting for Bertha. Oh and in other news, my crew and your engineers have successfully converted our tank to run ragnite fuel." Tanya added. The others clapped at the achievement with Tanya being proud of it too. It took them just a couple of weeks to make the feat and even then have also made advances in the Gallian's tanks too. They have eliminated the need for their fuel tanks to be outside the chassis.

"If that is the case, you shall have all you need before we move out. Is there anything else?" The others shook their heads. "If that is all, I expect your success in completing your objectives. You're all dismissed." The officers saluted and took their leave. They were walking along the hall when they saw a huge group forming outside from the windows. They questioned this and look to find out what is going on. They got outside to the yard and found a group of people looking up at the watchtower. They questioned this until they saw a brown-green speck moving up its wall. They got a closer look and they saw Don climbing the watchtower walls. Tanya and Welkin were shocked at the sight, but Mason had a look of annoyance and can only sigh. ' _I was wondering when they're going to pull that trick again.'_ Mason thought. This was a thing inside their regiment.

Whenever they're not on duty and have time to burn, Don and Mike would find the tallest thing they can find and get others to be if he is going to reach the top and return or he'll fall before doing both. It is only good that they have done it twice before or he'll have caught hell from above, but that doesn't mean he didn't once bet on Don before though. Sighing once more, he made his way to Mike who was manning the pool and taking bets. All was silent when Mason appeared before Mike with an expression that can be read as _'Your ass is mine'_. Mike gulped at the look and thought he was going to catch hell. Don looked back and thought similarly when he saw Mason too. Mason looked at them both and sighed. He got out a bill and said "Put me on Don" and gave it to Mike. The crowd cheered for the captain joining them. Mike gave Don the thumbs up and he continued. Tanya and Welkin were shocked at the development, but can only shrug. Tanya joined in the betting and Welkin went to do other things. To the others delight and discontent, Don climbed up and down the watchtower with no scratch whatsoever. The winners got their money and the losers went off, irritated at their loss.

* * *

Squad 17 were moving out to their destination through an alternate path. They have separated from Squad 7 a while ago and have made good progress on their time. The men were sitting on top of the tank with the women inside, but the commander above the hatch. The path was heavily forested on both sides and if not careful, can be a prime ambush point for the enemy, but fortunately for them, none are to be found nearby.

"Hey guys, what do you think of the people here?" Jake said popping up the question.

"Well from what I can see, the Gallians are pretty much good people and the Imperials are assholes that need to be ripped a new one." Mike replied, with the others nodding in agreement.

"Well yeah, we all know that, but I mean anybody can look at their enemy and think their assholes."

"Yeah, but these assholes are killing innocent civilians left and right as if it was nothing, especially the Darcsens." Dina shouted from the inside. The group solemnly nodded at that. From the stories they've heard, the Darcsens have a similar situation with the Jews back in their own world. Which one's situation is worse is hard to say; only time can tell.

"Oh yeah, come to think of it, what is up with you being called a Darcsen Dina?" Mike asked remembering her confrontation with Rosie.

"Me too, what is up with that anyway?" Anna asked the loader. The crew have been seeing the people refer to Dina as a Darcsen ever since they came to this world. Treatment is mixed, with her finding friends with the people themselves, especially Isara, and some treating her as if she is a pest that needs to be destroyed.

The loader sighed. "I think it has to do with my hair and skin color. I seem to have similar hair and skin color with Isara. The only thing though that I need to be a 'full' Darcsen is the clothing they have."

"Okay, but how does that explain your bout with Rosie?" Mike asked. The group didn't see it, but Dina gripped her handles tightly. She got angry with the reminder, but calmed down immediately. It was silent for a few moments and Mike was about to drop it when Dina replied.

"Darcsen or not, I will NOT be called scum by some random bitch who doesn't even know me, whoever does so will meet my shovel shoved down their throats." Dina said with as much rage and poison as she can put in. The men, especially Mike, were sweating a bit from the warning and can only stay quiet with the women. The women knew why she has a particular hating for the word when they first saw her. That scene, that scene will never be forgotten, no matter how much they try. It was only made worse by the story she told when she was confronted by it. A tense and awkward silence loomed over the squad. It was only for a few minutes and the squad already feels like its eternity. Don had enough of it and calmly let out a bottle of clear liquid. The men questioned this, but looked on to see Don give Tanya the bottle.

"What's this?"

"That there ma'am is Gallian Vodka, fresh from the bar." The women were surprised by this. They were trying to find some vodka for a couple of days now, but have never been able to find some and yet here is the liquor they have been searching for. With no hesitation, Tanya grabbed the bottle, opened it up and took a swig. You can clearly see the satisfaction on the young lieutenant's face. The bottle was passed around inside the tank until it came back to the men with only a quarter left of its content. The men were a bit surprised by this, but didn't question the Russians and their favourite drink. The men took a couple of swigs of their own then gave it back to the crew.

"Thanks comrade. You have no idea how long we've been finding this. Where did you find this anyway?" Tanya asked holding the bottle in question.

"Well there was a bar that I found just outside the fort and found it just under another name. They call it Iceberg for some reason. I'll show you it later."

"Thanks, drinks on us when we come back, right girls?" Tanya said to the women who gave their approval to it.

"Hehe, Isn't that the guys' job?" Mike replied. The squad laughed at the situation and just decided that they'll just treat each other when they come back. Silence once again came back, but not bringing back the tense and awkward atmosphere from before, but a kind and content one instead. It wasn't long when they have arrived at their destination.

The ambush spot is approximately 3 miles away from the supply base on the only road that leads to it. Just like the rest of the area, the road is forested on both sides, making a bottleneck to those who are making their way to the base. Once the squad have arrived, no time was spent wasted. The road has been mined along the sides of the road and demo charges have been set on specific points on the road and trees set to impede or block them. The men did all this while the girls were busy hulling down their tank. It was hulled down inside the forest, making hard to detect, further added with the camouflage netting. Once they were done with this, the men made a quick effort to build a deep enough foxhole, one for both sides. Once done, the women waited inside the tank and the men in their foxhole, waiting to unleash hell upon them. Time passed for the squad and the attack has already begun in the supply base. They waited for the coming reinforcements, the men making their foxhole deeper, but none have come to show up. 'Are these guys even going to come?' Similar thoughts popped up in each of the members, but that was short lived when Don spotted them on his scope. He was high up on a tree to give a better view and a view it was.

* * *

A convoy of infantry and tanks are making their way towards the supply base, but what Don didn't expect is the red behemoth known as the Lupus. Unknown to the ambushers, General Jaeger have been ordered to protect the supply base. Part of an elite tank unit, the general drives the red giant behemoth called the _'Lupus'_. Don immediately got down to the ground and told them of their oncoming targets. The squad went to high alert and loaded up for what is to come. The convoy soon approached the spot, not knowing of the ambush. Mason saw this and had his hand on the first detonator.

An explosion ripped through the planted trees and fell, trapping the convoy. The convoy was caught off guard once more when the very ground their standing on erupted. The demo charges ripped through the convoy and the infantry supporting it. The men with the convoy were in a state of panic and tried to find cover. Some took cover on the wreckage of the tanks, some hit the dirt, but most of them went to take cover amongst the trees along the sides. The men who didn't go watched as their friends blew up right in front of their eyes, their limbs blown off in different directions. The men opened fire, but the women haven't yet, not wanting the enemy to know their true strength. Even without Bertha's firepower, the men are mowing the Imperials down and with two of them at each sides, it gives the illusion of a massive group ambushing them, not 4 men and a tank.

The ambush went well for a while, but the surprise ended and the troops have regrouped themselves. The troops are now engaging the squad, but once again got their limbs blown off, all thanks to Bertha. The surviving tanks of the convoy fired at Bertha's direction, missing the tank every time. Seeing survivors, Anna ordered Dina to load the AP and waited for the new round to be popped in. Dina gave Anna the ready and she pulled the trigger. The shot went through one of the surviving tanks, killing the crew instantly. The Lupus fired back blindly at their direction. This continued on for a while, Bertha eliminating each of the surviving tanks one by one and the Lupus firing back, its shots getting closer and closer to the tank with each shot. Unfortunately though, one of the shots landed near the foxhole that Mason and Jake were in, both of the men getting hit by shrapnel from the explosion and were now pinned inside their foxhole.

" _Blyat_ , Mason and Jake are down and they're not getting up, Tanya, we got do something!" Nina shouted, seeing them go down.

"Fuck, Nika, grab your rifle and the ragnaid our Gallian friends gave us, Nina, grab your DP and get it outside while you, Anna and Dina on the count of three, give us covering fire while we get our comrades out of harm." She shouted while getting her PPSH.

"Da comrade lieutenant." The three shouted back. With Dina loading HE into the barrel and Nina reloading her DP and getting ready to pop out, Anna aimed at the Imperial troops getting close to their friends. Tanya positioned herself above her hatchet and Nika at hers.

"All of you ready?"

"Ready!"

"Okay then, 1….2…..3!" Tanya and Nika got out of the tank as fast as they can through their own hatches while the others unleashed the tank's armaments, all of them determined to rescue their American friends. The two rushed to them from cover to cover in the trees, firing also at any Imperials coming near them and the foxhole. The Imperials though were adamant in getting some revenge for their fellow comrades, as they try and push towards the foxhole, but can't move under the hail of fire coming from the tank. The Lupus fired a shot once more into their direction, the trees being blown off from their trunks. A tree nearly fell on Tanya, but she was able to roll away from it in time. Nika got her up and with a few more close calls, the two women have made it to the foxhole.

The men were unconscious, badly wounded and needed medical attention bad. Both of them used the ragnaid their comrades gave them and followed the instructions to the detail. The capsules emitted its blue healing light, closing most of the wounds that the men had. The women were amazed by the capsule, seeing it first-hand close a wound instantly. The men were now stabilized and were ready to be carried off. Nika got Jake on her back and made her way behind the tank, with Tanya providing covering fire with her submachine gun. Nika heaved Jake out of the danger as fast as she can, bullets whizzing past her at any moment. Through determination, she have managed to get him behind the tank, away from the danger. Nika put him down gently before grabbing her rifle and getting besides Nina on the top of the tank.

"Tanya! It's your turn!" Nika shouted to her commander. Tanya heard this and got besides Mason.

"Aaaaaah, what are you Americans eating?!" She whined, carrying the unconscious paratrooper. Just like Nika, she carried him as fast as she can to the back of Bertha. She was making good progress and was nearly there to the tank.

'Yes, just a few more steps and I am…' A shell exploded behind her before she can finish the thought. The Lupus fired off one last shell into their direction, it being the last of its stockpile.

"TANYA!" The women shouted. Nina and Nika gave caution to the wind, running to the both of them. With Nina getting Mason and the now wounded Tanya on top of Nika, both of them to a bunch of trees to the back of Bertha. Mason was still unconscious, but Tanya was still conscious, groaning under the pain she was in. Nika used one more of the ragnaid she has and its blue light once more healed one of their wounded. Under the pain and situation they were in, Tanya lost consciousness just beside Mason. If they weren't pissed before, they're now furious. 'These Imps just knocked out three of us. Alright that's it; these fuckers are going to have it.' The thought was present in the women crew. With the saying, ' _Hell hath no fury like a woman scorn'_ , being perfect at the situation, they unleashed the tank's fury.

* * *

Meanwhile, the men on the other side weren't able to see the past happenings due to the Imperials keeping them busy. Don and Mike have been firing at the Imperials for a while now, but their getting close and closer to their position, even playing hot potato with a grenade the Imperials have thrown, only to be only thrown back at them.

"Don, we got to get to the other side; we're being surrounded here!" Mike said firing his BAR at the Imperial troops. Thanks to the BAR, Mike has been able to supress most of them to take cover behind the trees, but they were a stubborn and persistent bunch and have slowly made progress to their foxhole.

"Okay, I got a plan. We'll go by turns. One will run as far as he can to the other side, but not too far that he can't help the other, who will be giving the one running some covering fire. Once the runner has reached a good enough distance, we'll switch roles, got it?"

"Got it"

"Okay, I'll go first. You better cover my ass." Don said reloading his Springfield and his M1911 Colt. On the count of three, Don got out of the foxhole and ran to the other side while Mike fired his BAR at rapid bursts. An Imperial tried to fire at Don, but was caught by the fire coming from Mike's BAR. He was dead once he hit the ground.

"Mike! Your turn!" Don shouted from his spot. He took cover behind a tree and worked to keep the _'Imps'_ off him. Don would have made the Brits proud cause he was doing the phenomenon known as the _'Mad Minute'_. The _Mad Minute_ was a bolt-action rifle speed shooting phenomenon that the British have developed from a rapid-fire exercise in World War 1. Thanks to the Lee-Enfield and its smooth action, the British were able to lob rounds at their enemy with speed unknown to the other armies, at least in the rifle's department. Don is lucky, not knowing that his rifle was built to be used in shooting events, making his more top-notch than the other rifles he has.

Don fired as many rounds as he can into the enemy, hopefully keeping them down. It wasn't as effective as the BAR, but it did the job, suppressing the enemy long enough for Mike to reach a spot near him. They repeated the cycle until both of them were just a few steps to the side of the road, it being cratered from the mines they have deployed. They were about to cross to the other side when suddenly, Bertha barrelled out of the forest and into the road, by luck avoiding the few mines that were still left untouched. The Lupus fired a round at the tank, but missed barely the turret. What happened next would be ingrained at the two as one of the most badass things they have ever seen.

Bertha, in full force, just rammed head on the Lupus. The crew of the said tank were shocked and disoriented from such a tactic, I mean, who the hell would use a tank as a battering ram? Well they didn't know Soviet might when they see it. Both tanks were now disabled, with the Lupus losing its tracks and Bertha its engine. Anna and Dina, who were on top of the tank carrying their PPS submachine guns, jumped on to the top of the Lupus. With no hesitation, Dina opened up the commander's hatch and Anna opened fire in the inside of the tank, Dina joining her too in a few moments. The attack immediately killed General Jaeger, commander of the tank, the tank's gunner and loader. To not leave any survivors, Dina thrown in a bundle grenade the crew has looted off in one of their encounters. This sealed the three survivors' hope of survival, the grenade effectively killing all three of them.

* * *

With their armor support down and the most of them dead, the remaining troops ran and made a hasty retreat, all of them running for their lives. The battle was final over, with the victory going to Squad 17, but at a heavy price. With their two leaders and the man just below them down and out for the while and Bertha's engine damaged, the Squad is essentially stuck in the road until reinforcements come, their radio being damaged also in the fight. The two men approached the tank crew.

"*whistles* Damn, remind me to never mess with you girls." Mike said to the tank crew. Dina and Anna saw the two men approaching them and were relieved that they were alright, but they were a bit angry for them not helping them when they were needed. They wanted explanation.

"Where were you guys? Did you both go to piss off somewhere in the woods or something?" The men were shocked at the reaction.

"What do you mean 'pissing off somewhere in the woods', we were here in the other side." Mike replied.

"Yeah we know that, but where were you both when we went to rescue comrade captain and sergeant?" Anna replied.

"Rescuing? Why would Mason and Jake need rescuing?" Don now asked. Both women had their eyes widen for a second before returning to normal. The men saw this and now had a serious expression. The women now lead both men to Nina, who is now tending to all of the three unconscious members. The men were about to ask questions when the women filled them in on what happened. Both men were having mixed feelings at this. Should they be thankful that they weren't in the storm or should they feel bad for not being able to help them their fellow squad mates who were? The men left that question unanswered and just settled for being relieved that they were okay.

"Guess we get we owe you a lot more than drinks now huh?" Don said to the all four of the women crew. Nika joined them a few moments ago during the explanation. Nina shook her head.

"Not needed comrade. You both would have done the same for us." Nina said with the rest of the women nodding their heads in agreement. The men were moved by the gesture and their friendship soared, with Mike's feelings for one certain woman soaring too.

"Still, thank you, for saving their skins." Mike said to the women tank crew and the women accepted it. With Nina taking care of the wounded, the women worked to repair Bertha's engine while the men kept a lookout for any reinforcements or enemies coming their way. Hours have passed, but soon the sun and its blue skies have come down and have been replaced with the moon and stars. Mike helped Nina set up a makeshift camp in the forest and tried to cook up the rations they have. Nina has been the crew's designated cook since she have been able to make the best out of anything the crew was given during the war. With pan and pot, she has been able to make the rations edible and quite tasty to the comments of the tank crew and a few other soldiers who have tasted her meals.

 _'_ _Come to think of it, I should ask Alicia how she makes her bread. I would love to learn how to make them myself'_ the cook thought. Within a dozen couple of minutes, the campsite was filled with an aroma of cooked stew in the air. The women (sans Tanya) smelled this and immediately dropped their tools and ran to the camp site. Don also smelled this and made his way to the camp. He wondered if the women brought out some food from their tank, but was surprised by what he sees, the women lining up to Nina and her pot and Mike happily gorging down on a bowl of her stew.

"Oh my God, this stew tastes so good." Mike saw Don and immediately ran up to him. "You need to try this man. This is delicious." Mike said offering a spoonful of the stew. Don gave it a try and he was surprised. The stew was actually good. The meat was tender and the soup was rich in flavor. Immediately Don lined up to get a bowl of the stew. All of them were eating happily.

"Nina, I don't know how you do it, but you're a miracle worker." Nika said.

"I still think you're praising me too much." Nina replied.

"Girl, if you can make our rations not taste like shit, then you're either a master chef or a miracle worker." Dina said enthusiastically. The men raised their eyebrows at this.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, you're saying that this stew came from your rations?" Mike asked. All the girls nodded.

"And what is exactly is in your rations?" Don asked.

"Let's see, we got _sprot, tushonka,_ spam, canned beets, tea, cracked wheat, hard bread, milk in a can, some seeds, and biscuits." Anna listed them off with her fingers.

"And if lucky, we get some vodka and beer." Dina added in. Mike was not sure if they have the better rations or not, though the booze is tempting though…. The question was left unanswered in the meantime. Soon enough, the pot was empty and all of them were finished. While the bowls were being cleaned from the water off her canteen, the rest went back to whatever they were doing before, until it has gotten too dark for the women to work. Don volunteered for first watch while the others were to sleep. Mike looked for a good sleeping spot and has luckily found a tree near the campsite that seems to be begging to be slept on. Mike got down leaned down on the tree. Mike was satisfied and was about to doze off when a voice called out to him. He opened his eyes and found Dina standing in front of him, with a blanket. It was a good thing for Dina that her blush isn't seen through the night.

"Hey, um, m-mind if I sleep with you." Dina said. Mike was surprised by this and well, he now became a bit of a nervous wreck.

"Uh, um, sure, why not?" Mike scooted over to his left and Dina sat on the spot. She offered some of her blanket and Mike accepted it. It was a cold night after all.

It was a nervous atmosphere, both of them hesitating to break the ice. Mike knew of this and tried to gather up his courage. _'C'mon Mike, you can do this. You jumped out of a plane into enemy territory and faced the Krauts who surrounded you. Talking to a woman shouldn't be hard, right?'_ Mike thought to himself. He breathes in and out and steadied his breathing.

"So, uh, I am just wondering. How did you girls get into the war?" Dina looked at him and thought for an answer.

"Well, before we started to push back the Germans, our country was losing land fast and Stalin was desperate to keep the Germans out of Moscow. So he just threw whatever men he can find, including us women, to stem the tide and push back the invaders. It was only through the help of 'General Mud' and 'General Winter' that we were able to keep pushing them back."

"General Mud and General Winter?" Dina nodded.

"The _rasputitsa_ of our homeland slowed down their advance and General Winter froze the balls off their soldiers. Like Napoleon, they were not fully prepared for the winter to come. What about you, how did you get into the war?"

"Well that is simple actually, I had the choice to either to be drafted or enlist as either a paratrooper or marine. Luckily for me, I made the right choice of being a paratrooper."

"Really, why not a marine?"

"Well I only heard this from Don, but they have to fight the Japs, who all actually have some sort of death wish since they'll blow themselves up just to kill you, you have to deal with whatever disease the jungle can have to throw at you, oh and if it rains, your practically going to be sleeping in mud." Mike listed off.

Dina shuddered. "Glad we're fighting the Krauts then." "I agree to that." The conversation continued on for a while, topics ranging from their own culture to their own homes, anything was talked about and both of them liked chatting with each other. Both had a sense of humor so jokes and funny stories were being told between each other. Dina laughed at the story of Mike's brothers chasing a chicken at the start to only end up chasing the whole henhouse. Dina laughter stopped when she was reminded of her own family though, her happy face suddenly turning sad and depressed all of a sudden and Mike saw this.

"Hey, what's wrong? If you're worried about the chickens, don't worry, we got them all back." Dina chuckled a bit and gave a soft smile.

"It's not that, it just that it reminded me of my own family."

"Oh yeah, how are they?" Dina frowned looked up at the sky. Mike immediately realized his blunder and felt guilty for bringing up such a topic.

"I…I am sorry for your loss. I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories." Dina shook her head.

"It is okay Mike, you didn't know." Both were silent for a while, the tenseness of it all so thick you can choke from it. Dina closed her eyes and breathed a sigh.

"My father was a mechanic and my mother was a tailor in a shop." Dina started. Mike was a bit surprised, but immediately listened to what she has to say.

"He met her when his uniform was torn from an accident during his job. He looked to find the shop that his friend gave him directions to when he saw the hole. When he entered the shop, he saw first my mom's first impression of him was _'does he ever clean himself up'_." Both of them chuckled at that.

"But for my father, she was the most beautiful thing in the world; it was love at first sight for him. Ever since then, he has made any excuse to return to the same shop over and over again, with holes and tears at whatever clothing he wears, with my mother always mending them. My father befriended my mother and soon the shop and the garage my father worked started seeing them a lot more with each other. She soon also started to develop the feelings for him and with flowers in hand, he asked if she can be his, and of course she accepted." Both of their hearts warmed at the story, with them looking at each other before turning away to hide their blush.

"I came first, then my sister Sasha, Misha, and lastly baby Nadia. My father was sad that they didn't have a son, thinking that he might not be able to teach his trade, but I guess he got his wish when he saw me playing around with the tools in his shed." Mike laughed a little and Dina pouted at him.

"What is so funny? Can't think that women can't make good mechanics?" Mike shook his hands and head in denial.

"No no, it's just that I imagined a baby you playing with a wrench and accidentally hitting yourself." Dina can only turn her head in embarrassment, Mike guessing it right. Mike laughed harder when he realized he hit the bullseye.

"Well anyway, my family and I lived a happy life and even though the war has started, all of us were together and that was enough for us." Dina smiled at the good memories she had with her family, but it disappeared when she remembered what comes next.

"Before I was a tanker, I have volunteered as a nurse when the Germans have attacked Stalingrad. I worked long shifts in the aid stations, helping whoever entered its doors with a hole." Mike can only imagine the carnage of the battle. He heard of the battle and the brutal war that occurred there. Street-street fighting and close quarter combat were constant and both were bloody.

"One night, I made my way to my home, tired out from a long shift. When I neared the door to my family's apartment, I heard voices from the other side, foreign voices." Mike's gut lurched, warning him of what to come.

"Instead of finding my loving family, what I found instead are their corpses, all of them executed against a wall." Mike was shocked at hearing this. He clenched his fists in anger for what have happened, but Dina laid hers on top and he looked at her puzzled.

"Do not feel angry for what they have done for I have taken my vengeance out on them already." Mike questioned this, but didn't want to pry and just left it at that.

"When I first saw them, I didn't know what to, but grieve." Dina looked down sullenly.

"For a long time, I have wept for them, but after that, I cannot remember much of what happened."

"What do you mean? Did you get drunk or something?" Dina shook her head.

" _Nyet,_ I had my first drink when I was a tanker already, though you are right in a way, since I got drunk on my rage. For days that I cannot remember clearly for the life of me, I have spent them hunting down every German I can find, on my own. Along the way, I have cleared German positions all by myself, only for the others to attack the position and find nothing but dead Germans." Mike looked disbelieved.

"C'mon, you can't expect me to believe that 'you' and 'you' alone took out multiple German positions?" Dina nodded.

"Believe me, I didn't believe it myself too, but the tank crew who found me begged to differ." Dina looked at her friends sleeping in the campsite.

"They saw me with nothing, but the dress I still wore from that night, a shovel, a knife, and the dead Germans who were guarding their post. They took me back to base camp when I finally fell over from exhaustion." Dina rubbed a falling tear from her eyes. Mike worried before Dina calmed him down.

"When they told me how they found me when I woke up, I almost lost it there, going to the deep end, but they supported me in my time of need. They visited me as much as I can after that and even gave me a tour of their tank before we even had Bertha. When I went to apply to be a tanker, Tanya even fought the Major to get me to join them, knowing that she can be executed, but I sure as hell glad that she did. I would have wound up working with men I don't even know." Dina gave a light laugh, remembering the time Tanya telling her she is joining them. Mike looked relieved that she is back to her happy self again.

"I am glad to be fighting with good comrades such as them. I have come to love them just as how I loved my sisters. Come to think of it, there like my second family now and whoever goes against me and my family will get crushed." Dina said smashing her fist into her palm. Mike can only chuckle at what he thought to be a cute sight.

"Hey, thank you for listening to me ramble my life. Ever since 'that', I have only told my life to them only since I can trust them. I hope I can trust you and maybe soon your friends too."

"Don't worry Dina; your secret is safe with me." Mike raised his hand and made his other hand go through 'zip' motion on his mouth. Dina nodded and gave him a hug. Mike was surprised, but immediately returned the gesture with his own. He was going to let go, but Dina didn't, she being already asleep at his chest. Mike chuckled and just settled for rubbing her head as softly as he can, Dina enjoying it, her head nuzzling closer to him. Mike relaxed and leaned his head on the tree.

A single thought went through Mike. _'Dina, as long as I can breathe and fight, I will always protect you, no matter what.'_


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 _Kloden Forest_

With Gallia pressing its advantage, Squad 7 was tasked to take the desert. Along the way, they have also been ordered to find Squad 17 and report on their current condition, since no word was heard of them ever since they've went to go on their mission. When they found the squad's ambush spot, they were all surprised by the carnage the small group have wrought. Wreckage and strewn parts littered the road with craters blown into the ground, the squad immediately wondering where did the bodies go, but they got their answer when they saw the pile of limbs and corpses on the side of road, the stench of death and rot permeating the air, with a couple of them relieving their lunch on the nearby trees. What caught their attention though is the sound of an engine starting up in the distance. The squad moved up to the sound and was surprised by what they saw.

"Finally, we've been waiting for you guys to show up for so long, I thought you guys forgot about us." Mike shouted and waved to them while standing on top of the former general's tank. In the last few hours, Squad 7 have managed to scavenge enough parts from the wreckage to get Bertha in working condition, pile up all the bodies they can find, and gather weapons and ammo. Mason, Tanya, and Jake also woke up from their injuries a while back.

"We wouldn't forget about you guys." Vargo replied.

"Still though, what happened here? Ever since we separated, we've lost contact with your squad for a good while." Welkin said and looked to Mason for an explanation. Mason waved him off.

"Don't look at me; I've been knocked out for the most of it." Mason replied.

"We'll answer your question though comrade Lieutenant." Anna said. The squad (except Don) told the whole of Squad 7 what happened, from start to end. From the first detonation to the ramming of the Lupus, each member conscious through it all told their own point of views.

"Still though, why didn't you call us during the fight? We could have rushed to you guys with whatever support you needed." Alicia questioned them.

"We tried to contact you guys, but we couldn't; Bertha's radio can't pick up a signal." Dina answered.

"That can explain why we can't make contact with you. Still though, I can't believe you actually took out a force of this size all by yourselves, with an Imperial General too." Isara replied. Both squads went silent at the bomb she just unknowingly dropped. All of them looked at her intensely. Under the spotlight, Isara got nervous.

"Umm…why are you all looking at me?" Isara asked nervously.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait…wait, you're saying that this tank.." Tanya pointed to the tank. "..belongs to a general?".

Isara nodded. "By the looks of it, this must be General Jaeger's personal tank, the Lupus." The men and women of both squads were surprised from Isara's response.

"Is that true Isara? Is this really General Jaeger's tank?" Alicia replied. Isara nodded.

"Yes. I am pretty sure that tank is General Jaeger's personal tank."

"How sure are you?" Welkin asked.

"Well, when I first joined up to be your driver, the army introduced me to any vehicle that our troops might encounter and any intel that they might have on them. Judging by the unique body and the size of its gun, I can confirm that this is really General Jaeger's tank." Isara explained.

"So you mean to tell all of us that these guys…" Rosie pointed to Squad 17. "…and them only took out an Imp General and his armed convoy, all by themselves?" Rosie asked. Isara, now realizing the gravity of what just happened, just simply nodded. If anyone of them in Squad 7 doubted them before, they sure as hell don't now. Here is a group, standing right in front of them, conquer a bigger and more better equipped foe, with only what equipment and guts they have.

"Hey! You guys are finally here!" Don shouted to them, just returning from his scouting venture. He ran to them and when he got there, he immediately felt the situation.

"So, anything I missed while I was gone?" Anna just simply stood up and made him sit down.

"You might want to sit down for this." Don can only shrug, not knowing what he and the rest of his squad have achieved.


	8. Chapter 7

_Kloden Forest, Captured Imperial Supply Base_

As Squad 7 have pushed on towards Barious Dessert, Squad 17 have fallen back to the former Imperial supply base to regroup themselves. The women crew and the engineers of the base have started to repair Bertha and their newly captured 'trophy' (Lupus), while the men have made themselves comfortable in one of the barracks. Don and Mike were both sleeping one of the available bunk beds, Jake reading a book on Gallian history, while Mason read the newspaper for anything interesting. It was relatively peaceful in the room until a soldier entered the room.

"Is there a Captain Mason here?" Said man raised his hand.

"You need something?"

"Yes sir, Captain Varrot would like to have your presence for a moment." The soldier saluted left the room.

"Think I should wake them up?" Jake pointed his thumb to the two 'sleeping beauties', both of them chuckled at the remark.

"Nah, let them nap. No need to wake them up for nothing." The Captain grabbed his Thompson and waved off the sergeant. He went to one of the nearby offices in the base. The office was part of a whole building meant for the organization of supplies and equipment, though whatever intel that might have been able to aid them have either been destroyed or taken with the retreating force. Mason entered one of the rooms to find Varrot sitting down behind a desk.

"Ah Captain, please sit. We have much to discuss." Mason sat down on one of the chairs in the office.

"So Captain, anything that needs to be discussed?" The woman nodded.

"Yes. As you know, this supply base have been a key area for the Imperials hold on this territory. As such, the capture of this base would not only deplete the Imperials of their resources, but also gather intel on their plans."

"Yeah, I know that, but didn't the Imps burn take it all with them already." The other captain smiled as she pulled a folder underneath her desk and placing it on the desk. The Gallian captain chuckled inwardly at the American captain's surprised face.

"Yes, but fortunately for us, they have left out one last for us to use." Mason snapped himself off shock and opened the folder. The folder had images and maps of a snowy mountain area. The area and its forests were heavily snowed as if winter came to the land. He held up the image of the area.

'Just like in the Ardennes.' Mason recalled back to his time in the area. Chilling cold, frozen feet, and starving stomachs were what he can clearly remember, the area being a frozen hell to him and many others who were in the same as him. Mason spaced out for moments, until Varrot put her hand on his shoulder and brought him out of it.

"Are you alright Captain Mason? You seemed to be out of it for a moment there." He nodded numbly.

"Yeah I am alright. The picture just brought me back somewhere I don't want to go back to." She had a thought of inquiring the place, but put the thought away seeing the situation.

"So, what's so special about this place then?"Mason asked.

"This place here is known as the Diebal Mountains. Thanks to the intel we have gathered here, we suspect that the Imperials might try an attack here."

"I am guessing that you want us to defend the area." Varrot nodded to Mason's guess.

"Yes. You're objective is for your Squad to help defend the area from any possible Imperial attack. Also, Squad 1 will also be aiding you in this battle. You shall leave as soon as possible." The Gallian captain handed Mason the folder and saluted him.

"This mission is vital to Gallia's defense. If you don't succeed, then Gallia might fall." Mason saluted her in reply to her serious words.

"Don't worry, we won't let our asses handed be handed to us by a few Imps. We won't let you down."

"Then I hope all of you succeed." Mason left the office and headed straight to where Tanya and the others are repairing the tank, but stopped for a moment when a memory of his freezing body came to him.

'We are so definitely going to have to keep our asses warm down there.' Mason kept that thought on him as he gone to look for blankets.

* * *

 _Diebal Mountain Range_

It was already nightfall when a group of men were chopping down wood for their homes when suddenly voices were heard. The men wondered who could be with them in this kind of time. As the men got closer and closer, one of them suggested that it may be Imperial troops that they might find. This put a stop to them as all of them and the villagers that they know are all Darcsen. This clearly put them on edge. They know how Imperials treat Darcsens and if they don't do something, they can only guess what horrible fate befalls them. One of them came out with an idea.

"I will go and investigate further, you three would return to the village and warn them of what might come. If you don't see me first waving a torch then start running."

"But Vern are you crazy? What if it is the Imps you actually find? We don't want you to die man." A member of the group voiced out his concern, the two other two joining him. Vern shook his head.

"Better for just for me to die than for a whole village. Just go, who knows when they might attack." Vern pushed them both to the village's direction.

"And also tell my family that I love them, okay." The three can only sadly nod back as they made their way to the village. Vern looked at his retreating companions and unknowingly shed a tear. He wiped his eyes and made his way to the voices. He made his way quietly behind a rock and looked up to observe. He saw two men sitting by a campfire and multiple tents surrounding them. One man was heating himself by the fire while the other drank coffee out of a metal mug.

'Maybe the Imps issued new uniforms?' Vern shook the thought when the two men started a conversation.

"Where do you think are we anyway?"

"How should I know? We could be back at Stalingrad and I would still be freezing my ass of here." The man pointed his thumb to his but for emphasis.

"Yeah, but I think anywhere else away from that would be nice." Both men laughed a bit before stopping to an awkward silence.

"Hey Hans?"

"Yeah Jurgen?"

"Do you think the world would ever forgive us? For what we've done to them." Hans looked up to the sky and breathed out, it being visible in the air. Hans looked straight to Jurgen's eyes.

"I don't know Hans, but all we can do is try. And the first step to doing that is to help the Americans take down that monster of a leader ourselves." Jurgen nodded wholeheartedly. Vern was now very curious at what he have heard. Who are these Americans? Who is their leader? Who are they exactly? These kinds of thoughts swirled on his mind for a quite a while. An option was now present upon him. Should he present himself to these men and risk getting shot? Or go back to the village and forget everything that has happened? He closed his eyes and weighed his options. He thought back to his family and his loved ones, imagining what would happen if he dies, but he also imagined the suffering his people went through because of their supposed history. He opened his eyes and sighed. He stood up with his hands raised and walked towards the camp. The two soldiers saw him and immediately trained his rifle upon him.

"Who are you and how did you find us?" Hans questioned the Darcsen man.

"Me and 3 others heard your voices when we were chopping firewood nearby. I am the only one here while the others are back at the village." The two were now interested at what he just said.

"Tell me this, can you lead us to said village?"

"I can, but I must ask you this. Are you part of the Imperial Alliance?" The two men got confused at the question, but shook their heads for an answer.

"No we're not, but what is this Imperial Alliance you're talking about? Is it like the Axis Forces?" It was now the Darcsen's turn to be confused.

"I don't know, since I've never heard of such a force." The two men were surprised at the answer. They lowered their guns and the Darcsen lowered his hands.

"Last question and answer me seriously. Where are we?" Jurgen asked the Darcsen. The Darcsen scratched his head in confusion and disbelief."

"You guys don't know? You're in Gallia." The two men were now really confused.

'Oh, the Major would enjoy hearing this.' The thought both inside the two German soldiers.

* * *

 **Hello guys! Long time no see! Forgive me for being very late with this story's update and I am sorry for how short this one is compared to the other. I just want you guys to know that this story and I aren't dead. I will continue this as much as I can and I thank you guys for being so patient with me.**

 **Also thank you so much for the love and reviews your giving to this story. I appreciate it all and it shows your support.**

 **Thank you once again and hope I update sooner. Peace :D**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DON'T WON VALKYRIA CHRONICLES**


	9. Chapter 8

_Diebal Mountains, German Encampment_

These snowy mountains on the soutern Gallian borders form what is called the Diebal Mountains. The mountains were once filled with ragnite, ready to be mined for the small country's use. Many Darcsen miners have settled in the mountains to mine the mountains for the mineral. Although the mines have been long abandoned, the settlements that were built because of it remained. One of those settlements is a village where a man named Vern lives ii with his family. The man right now is sitting in beside a campfire, facing what looks to be a German officer.

The officer looked to be in his mid-forties, wearing an officer's uniform with a gray trenchcoat to go with it. He was awaken by Hans and Jurgen earlier and was told that the man in front of him knows where they are. He was rather surprised by this, but immediately welcomed it. He woke up the others in the camp for them to also know. They've been traveling for God knows how long in a land unknown to them. The man reached into his pocket for a cigarette and lit it with his lighter.

"Do you want one?" The man reached into his pocket once more and offered Vern a cigarette. Vern nodded yes and reached for it and the man lit it in response.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Now, my men here says that you know where we are right now?" The man pointed to the eight men behind him. The eight men are divided into two, it being seen with their two different uniforms and equipment. The first four are wearing a gray thick uniform meant for the cold, light gray gloves, and black ankle shoes with black gaiter to finish it off. The others are wearing what looks like a camouflage printed jacket, gray pants, black gloves, and black boots. Their guns also differ, the first four equipped with their STG 44 and the other four have their FG 42 slung on their shoulders.

"Yes I do. But I have to ask, who are you people? By the looks of it, you guys ain't Gallians nor Imperials that for sure."

"Well you are quite right in the fact that we are neither of those two, but before we introduce ourselves to you, can you tell us who you are and where are we exactly?" Vern nodded in response.

"Well, my name is Vern Malheim and we are in the Diebal Mountains, a mountain range just near the border of southern Gallia." The major and the others had a puzzled look on their faces.

"Uh...Gallia? Is that a province in Belgium or something?" A man from the first group said. Vern got confused and shook his head sideways.

"Uhh..No? It is a country. Though I've never heard of this Belgium you're talking about." The Germans are now confused. They've never heard of any country called Gallia before and if there is, they should definitely know. The major inhaled deep his cigarette and thrown the butt to the ground.

"Okay then, at least now we 'know' where we are then. I guess it's our turn to introduce ourselves." The major stood up and dusted off the snow on his clothes.

"My name is Major Aurick Herrmann and I and the four men here.." Dirk pointed to the first group. "...were part of the 3rd Panzergrenadier Division while these four men here..." Dirk now pointed to the second group. "...were part of the 5th Parachute Division." The man offered his hand to Vern and he shook it in response. The eight men now went up to Vern to introduce themselves individually.

The first group consisted of Hauptmann(Captain) Heinz Muller, Unterfeldwebel(Staff Sergeant) Eckard Lehmann, Obergefreiter(Corporal) Edgar Drescher, and Obergefreiter(Corporal) Hans Kruger. The second group consisted of Oberstleutnant(1st Lieutenant) Wolf Schultz, Leutnant(2nd Lieutenant) Erwin Koenig, Obergefreiter(Corporal) Jurgen Fuchs, and Schutze(Private) Otto von Richter.

"So Mr. Malheim, think you can give us shelter in your village? If it ain't obvious, we're pretty much freezing our asses out here." Heinz asked. Vern had a skeptical look on his face. Sure, they may not be Imperials, but who says they aren't allied with them.

"Before I do, I must ask you all one last question. Are you guys Imperials? Are you allied with them?" Vern said with as much conviction as he can, the Germans hearing the seriousness in his voice.

' _The_ _Imperials must have traumatized this poor man. Whoever these Imperials are must be dangerous.'_ The Major thought. The others also had similar thoughts as well. The Major went up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I assure you son, that we are not part or associated with these Imperials. I highly doubt we would anyway since all of us have no idea who these _scweinhunds_ are." The men snickered at the remark. Vern phewed, relieved and convinced that the men he just met aren't part of the Imps.

"Okay then, I am convinced. There is an old cottage in the village outskirts you can use. A family used to live there, but they up and left a few years ago so it should be fine if you want it."

"It would do us just fine. Just let us pack our gear before we get there."

"Okay then. Come to me when you're ready and I'll lead you to it." With haste, the men packed up their tents and gear and put out the campfire that they lit. They did it relatively quick and came back to Vern ready to go. With that, Vern lead them through the forest and into the outskirts of the village. The village itself is small compared to the other ones in the area, but what makes it unique compared to the others is the way it was built. The village has two roads that cut through the village and each other, making some sort of cross in the process. This makes the village more valuable because the two roads make a vital crossroads from Gallia to the rest of Europa.

Vern lead them to the old cottage, but was dismayed when he saw the door was boarded up. That changed though when Heinz kicked it open and let themselves in. Vern can only shrug at the action.

' _They are getting in anyway.'_

It was obvious that the place has been long abandoned. Dust, cobwebs, dirt, anything you can think finding in an abandoned place is there. Edgar, one of the panzergrenadiers, blown away the dust from the old furniture, resulting him coughing from the dust cloud.

"Ah _scheisse_ ,*coughs* this place is a mess."

"Hey compared to a trench, this place is a fuckin mansion for all I care." Otto replied, sitting down on one of the wooden chairs inside.

"Agreed." Most of them said in chorus. A few seconds passed before someone replied.

"Hmmph, you boys are lucky. At least in yours, you don't live in it for so long rats start to live with you too." The Major somberly replied. Any kind of jovial mood had pretty much got killed and was now replaced with a solemn mood. Seeing the situation, Vern immediately made his way to the door.

"Umm...If you need me, just go to the village in the morning and just ask one of the people there." With that, Vern left the house. For a few minutes, the men went cleaning up the place in silence. It was broken though when Heinz popped a question towards the man who started it.

"Sir?"

"Yes Heinz?"

"Why did you decided to fight in this one too? I am pretty sure you could have just gone on doing what you are doing in peace for quite a while." Aurick stopped cleaning and looked to the others. All of them curious and are waiting for his answer. Aurick took a breath and exhaled.

"I decided to fight once more because I want more of you boys to survive." The men were surprised at his response.

"Now don't get me wrong. I don't like war and I sure as hell would pretty much do everything to avoid it, but if I can save boys like you from dying like the others back then, I would gladly join the fray once more."

They've heard stories on how brutal the fighting was in the Great War. They themselves have already experienced the hell of this war, how much more when you have to charge through killzones and go through poisonous gas yet, here is a man who would willingly go back to hell just so he can save a few lives. The men smiled at his response.

"Thank you Sir. If that's how you feel, then we'll be with you to the end." Heinz replied.

"As if we have a choice after a speech like that." Wolf added in. All of them laughed at the response, the jovial mood returning back once more. In minutes, the men have cleaned up the place as much as they can. The house was now mostly presentable with the dust and dirt cleaned up and all the furniture all in their right places. The men decided to go back to sleep, with Hans and Jurgen again taking watch, considering the fact that it was still their turn.

Aurick though was still awake, looking through the files and pictures that he have kept in his satchel ever since he acquired them. These things being responsible for the very situation they are now in. No, it wasn't these that got them into this, it was all him. He could have kept it all to himself entirely, but the situation was changed and now him, his group, and others just like him are now about to do what they and many others should have done earlier in the war.

And what are they trying to do exactly? Its quite simple really...

Defect to the Allied Forces and help bring the downfall of Nazi Germany.

* * *

 **Merry Christmas!**

 **Maligayang Pasko!**

 **Fröhliche Weihnachten!**

 **счастливого Рождества!**

 **Hello guys, and Merry Christmas. Are you surprised? Either way, I hope you like how it is going so far.**

 **You got to wonder though how would Squad 17 react to them being here though, especially to what's inside the Major's satchel.**

 **Thankfully, you'll get to see that in the next 2 chapters. YAY! And I'll be sure to bring it to all of you soon.**

 **Thank you once again and Merry Christmas everybody. Peace :D**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN VALKYRIA CHRONICLES**


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